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ZDNET's key takeaways
Scams target online shopping, donations, and other holiday activities.
Scammers now use AI and cryptocurrency to commit fraud.
Protect yourself by validating transactions and securing your accounts.
Cyber scams are a problem any time of the year. But the holiday season often brings out the worst of them. That's because savvy cybercriminals know how to exploit such popular holiday activities as online shopping, travel, shipping, charitable giving, and digital payments.
Also: Beware the 'Hi, how are you?' text. It's a scam - here's how it works
Scammers are also increasingly tapping into AI, cryptocurrency, and other advanced techniques to commit fraud. Using AI, for example, criminals are able to more easily and effectively impersonate trusted individuals and companies. These types of scams then become not only more convincing but more difficult to detect.
In a new advisory called "Cyber-Safe Holidays: Recognizing and Avoiding Seasonal Scams," the US Department of the Treasury highlights the three most common holiday cyber scams and offers advice on how to combat them.
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