Cyber Monday is coming up, and experts say online shoppers in Delaware should be wary of cyber criminals.
According to PrivateTunnel.com, Delawareans were scammed out of more than $1.67 million by online thieves last year, placing the state in the top half per capita in the nation.
Tasha Jackson is the chair of information assurance at Wilmington University. She says with more internet commerce comes more people trying to con shoppers out of their money and private information.
“There’s going to be more traffic on the internet around this time of year to get the savings and the things that people are looking for, and the scammers know you’re out there,” said Jackson.
Jackson says to avoid unfamiliar websites, pay attention to warning messages on your computer, and know all URLs should begin with “https” or the site is not secure. She also says if you get an email offering a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is
“Beware of those prize-winning scams that direct you to other sites and request your information. Most of the time you’ve won an opportunity for someone to steal your personal information.”
USA Today reports online shopping totaled more than $3.4 billion in sales nationally last Cyber Monday.