Online iTunes Gift Cards Scam – Shoppers Beware

While you are doing your Christmas shopping online this season, make sure you are doing it safely. Cyber-thieves don’t take vacations – they are as vigilant as ever trying to get your personal information. One of the newest ways they are attempting this is through fake iTunes cards loaded with malware – coming from a seemingly innocent email. The “iTunes” email looks legitimate enough to easily fool people: the address is official@intunes.apple.com, and the attachment is called Gift_Certificate_iT9581.zip.

Here’s how the scam works: First, an email is sent informing you that you’ve received an iTunes $50 gift card, with an attachment to click on to immediately be able to activate your “account”.  However, if you click on the attachment, it executes the malicious file on your computer and creates a backdoor in the system. Scammers then can easily access your personal information including logins, passwords, even your credit card information. If you see this email in your own mailbox – immediately delete it and do not even think about open the attachment. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from this and other types of scams:

Don’t get distracted. It’s easy to get all too comfortable while you are shopping online, and that’s what scammers are counting on. They want you to trust what you see and fall for their scams. Be careful of what you are about to click on: if something seems too good to be true, it most likely is.

Use a multi-layer approach to securing your computer. Making sure your firewall is on and encrypting your Wi-Fi Connection are good starts, and be sure to download all Windows Updates as they come in (many contain safety updates.) Most important? Anti-malware software is a necessity to keep scams like this one from getting to you. ChicaPC-Shield™ scans your computer and destroys any malware it finds. It also protects you from future infections. Download the free version of ChicaPC-Shield™ here. For full protection with continual updates in real time, as well as alerts before you enter a malicious website, upgrade to the full version.

For more tips on how to shop online safely, read The Ten Commandments of Online Shopping and How to Protect Your Identity Online.