AI-driven fake shoppers target Black Friday retailers
As we approach Black Friday and the annual frenzy of online shopping a new report uncovers widespread vulnerabilities in major retail platforms as agentic commerce takes hold.
The research from fraud prevention specialist Data Dome shows that threat actors are exploiting the same automation paths used by consumers to automate browsing, comparison and checkout in order to scale account fraud with an army of fake shoppers.
Mobile threats increase ahead of holiday shopping season
New research from the Zimperium zLabs team reveals a sharp rise in mobile threats tied to the holiday shopping season.
The report shows that mishing (mobile phishing) remains the most widespread and effective mobile attack vector. Smishing messages and fake delivery alerts impersonating trusted retail and logistics brands surged up to fourfold during the 2024 holiday shopping period, with attackers using urgency-driven messages like ‘Your package is delayed, click here’ to trick users into revealing credentials or downloading malicious apps.
AI makes holiday shopping scams harder to spot
As we approach the busiest time of the year for online shopping, scammers and phisherfolk are also preparing for a seasonal bonanza. 1Password has surveyed 2,000 American adults to learn how people are protecting themselves -- or not -- from phishing scams.
It finds that 66 percent of respondents say they’ve noticed more 'scammy' messages, phone calls, and ads since AI became more prevalent. In addition 82 percent of respondents have been phished, or have come dangerously close to it.
Amazon Prime for Young Adults is shockingly cheap, and free for 6 months
For anyone who makes a lot of purchases from Amazon, a Prime subscription makes a lot of sense. And for young adults, the deal just got a whole lot sweeter.
Ahead of Prime Day 2025, Amazon has launched a new Amazon Prime subscription tier which is incredible value for anyone who is of the right age. Specifically for people aged between 18 and 24, the new Prime for Young Adults includes everything that is found in a regular subscription, but it is a fraction of the cost.
Santa Claus may be coming to town but bots are getting all the best Christmas presents
New research from Imperva shows that 71 percent of UK consumers believe bad bots are ruining Christmas by snapping up all the most wanted presents.
It finds that 40 percent of consumers surveyed say they have been thwarted when trying to buy a gift in the past, only to find that it was completely sold out.
Are Black Friday deals really all that good?
In recent years the concept of Black Friday has spread beyond the US thanks to the web, such that millions around the world now go online at this time of year in search of bargains. But are the deals on offer really all they seem?
A new report from Smartproxy suggests that they might not be. It highlights the tactics some sites use to create the illusion of savings. Many increase the baseline prices of products in the weeks before Black Friday. So by the time the 'discounts' hit, they're often just bringing prices back to normal.
Holiday shoppers in threat actors' sights
Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas bring millions of shoppers online with attractive discounts and limited time offers, but of course they also create ideal conditions for cybercriminals to exploit unwary bargain hunters.
A new report from Fortinet's FortiGuard Labs looks at the evolving threat surface of eCommerce, highlighting how cybercriminals are leveraging Remote Code Execution (RCE) exploits, Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) phishing kits, sniffers, and website cloning services to manipulate online transactions and gain access to steal sensitive data.
Shoppers willing to hand over personal data to get a holiday bargain
A new survey from Norton shows that 60 percent of UK holiday shoppers say they are swayed by good holiday deals and nearly two-thirds (61 percent) give away their personal information to receive a discount when shopping.
The study reveals that 70 percent of Brits have tried to secure discount codes, through means like signing up to a website's mailing list or answering a survey. 61 percent of those who tried to secure discounts admit to divulging their personal information to do so.
Retail fraud up 700 percent for the holiday shopping season
As we enter the busiest period of the year for retail sales, there's less than cheery news that scraping, loyalty card fraud and payment card fraud have increased by a collective average of over 700 percent as attackers lay the groundwork for holiday sale attacks ahead of retailer security crackdowns.
A new report from Cequence Security finds threat actors are evolving their tactics, opting for a more nuanced approach that spreads attacks across a broader timeframe to blend in with legitimate traffic and evade detection ahead of peak holiday shopping times.
WhatsApp's new Flows feature lets you shop, book appointments and more from a chat with a business
Continuing its expansions in to shopping and eCommerce, Meta has announced WhatsApp Flows. The new feature allows businesses to give customers the chance to do things like book tickets and order items from within a chat.
Flows can be customized by merchants to meet the specific needs of a business, creating workflow-like purchasing experiences for customers. Launching globally over the coming weeks, WhatsApp has been testing Flows with partners in Brazil and India.
Poor website experience makes 60 percent of consumers abandon a purchase
A new survey of 6,000 online shoppers in the US and EU finds that many websites are causing problems for eCommerce companies due to poor design.
The study from Storyblok shows that 42 percent say they decide whether to stay on or leave a website within 10 seconds -- 20 percent within five seconds -- while 60 percent have abandons a purchase because of poor website experience.
Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday technology deals of 2022
The economy may be in the toilet right now, but just because inflation is at an all-time high, that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy gifts this year. In fact, with many financial experts predicting a painful 2023, we might as well take advantage of all the great 2022 Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, right?
This year, there are many impressive discounts on technology-related purchases such as computer peripherals, devices and electronics. Below, we are sharing some of the best deals. While many of the sales will not start until Friday, some are live already. We will be continually adding deals to this list, so keep checking back!
Plugable UD-ULTCDL 13-in-1 USB-C triple monitor docking station gets refreshed and discounted for 2022 holiday shopping
Does the perfect laptop docking station exist? Maybe for some consumers, but ultimately, no it does not. The reality is, consumers have differing needs and wants, so no single dock can truly please everyone. With that said, a new docking station from Plugable should prove to be a great option for most consumers.
Called "UD-ULTCDL," it technically is an update to an existing Plugable dock that carries the same name, but really, it is significantly different, meaning it should be considered an entirely new product. This second generation version features three HDMI ports as opposed to outdated DVI and VGA options. Not to mention, it now offers 100W charging (96W certified).
Economic uncertainty leads digital marketers to focus on customer experience
The pandemic led to a boom in online commerce, but as it fades away enterprises are keen to find new ways to understand and reach their customers, at the same time as addressing increasing privacy concerns.
Customer experience company Acquia commissioned Vanson Bourne to seek the views of 2,000 consumers and 200 marketers in the UK and the US on the digital marketing landscape.
Online sellers remain optimistic despite looming recession
A new study shows that online sellers remain optimistic about the current eCommerce market despite consumers cost of living concerns and an impending recession.
The research, from eCommerce helpdesk specialist eDesk and based on a survey of over 200 online sellers in the US, shows that 53 percent of sellers expect to see an increase in online shopping over the next six months.
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