The fact that shopping and access to information are mostly carried out online has led to an increase in digital fraud attempts. While it was noted in the 2022 Global Digital Fraud Trends Report that two out of 5 people were the target of digital fraud, experts reminded that it is necessary to be careful against fake websites and advertisements.
The proliferation of online shopping channels, information channels and financial applications has reduced cyber security threats to the end user level. Digitization in many sectors has also led to an increase in digital fraud cases. In the 2022 Global Digital Fraud Trends Report, it was noted that two out of 2019 people were exposed to digital fraud in the 2021-5 period, while 35% of consumers were targeted by fake websites. In addition, a 52% increase was observed in the rate of suspicion of digital fraud globally during the specified period.
Berkun Meral, the Founder of the digital and performance marketing agency IQUEEM, who shared his assessments on the subject, said, “Even e-commerce, financial services and online services of government institutions can be imitated with fake websites and advertisements. "Many users who have deficiencies in digital literacy or are distracted for the moment cannot distinguish fake sites and advertisements from the real ones," he said.
“Travel-oriented fraud attempts increased 2% in 110 years”
It was also noted that cybercriminals often attempt to defraud consumers' weaknesses or desires. According to the report, while travel-oriented digital fraud attempts increased 2% in 110 years, travel-oriented digital fraud cases with a total cost of $ 95 million were reported in the USA alone, according to the data of the US Federal Trade Commission.
Berkun Meral, who draws attention when false advertisements and websites are designed with items such as discounts and holiday opportunities, that consumers can easily persuade, said, “In the research carried out by a local cyber security company in Turkey in the past months, it was seen that 30 thousand people believed in the 'free Maldives holiday' scenario. Users, who do not realize that they are fake, are exposed to risks such as stealing personal information, downloading malicious software, being defrauded, and encountering dangerous and illegal content when they click on these ads. As an agency that offers specialized services to the tourism industry and is ranked among the top 2.375 companies in the world according to Google, we encounter such cases frequently. "Cyber attackers are targeting extensive ad networks like Google and social media channels," he said.
“They also imitate car, bungalow and boat rental sites”
Holiday bookings aren't the only target of criminals looking to commit rental scams. Berkun Meral stated that a few days ago, a user shared that he was defrauded by a fake website imitating a well-known car rental brand, and said, "A bungalow gang that defrauded 160 people in the past months was also destroyed. Any service that can be accessed over the Internet can be the target of fraudsters. It is necessary to be careful against these fake sites, which draw a very professional image with the possibilities of design and web technologies, and are at the top with high-budget fake advertisements.
“It is not difficult to protect from fake advertisements”
Emphasizing that the first precaution users should take before sharing their personal data or credit card information with a site is to check the link addresses of the sites, IQUEEM Founder Berkun Meral concluded his evaluations with the following statements:
“Using an up-to-date antivirus program is also a must for a secure internet experience. In addition, users should check whether the websites they suspect are the same as the address on the brand's Google Business card, be completely sure of the site before filling out the form, download from safe sources, confirm the accuracy of the websites they refer to from social media, and if they are directed to a phone call through a holiday advertisement, the phone they call must check the number on the business website or Google Business card. If internet browsers give a warning about a site, leaving the site by taking this warning into account is also important in terms of keeping it safe.”
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