New Visa report tells consumers to stay alert this holiday shopping season

12/11/2023

In the Holiday Edition Threats Report, Visa anticipates threat actors will use advanced schemes to exploit consumers’ information during the holiday season and shares tips and tricks for safe transactions

 

Visa, a world leader in digital payments, revealed its Holiday Edition Threats Report, which anticipates heightened scam activity during the holiday season across both card-present (CP) and card-not-present (CNP) transactions. The new report identifies popular fraud tactics expected between November 2023 and January 2024 due to the rapid increase in eCommerce activities and in-person spending across retail and hospitality. Visa, today, also unveiled its list of top 10 habits consumers can follow to practice safe and secure shopping.

Historical data and transactions show that threat actors prey on consumers during the holiday season. In fact, Visa’s data shows that for the top merchant categories targeted by fraudsters, 2022 holiday fraud rates increased 11% over their non-holiday fraud rate and saw an increase of 8% over the previous year during this time1. The Holiday Edition Threats Report warns that threat actors will seek to exploit consumers’ increased interest and urgency in finding deals and one-of-a-kind gifts. Highlights of the report’s findings include:

  • Digital Skimming: With the increase in online shopping, there’s a greater opportunity for scammers to successfully compromise account data from eCommerce merchants and monetize it.
  • Phishing and Social Engineering: The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) over the past year provides threat actors with the ability to create highly customized phishing campaigns, making it harder for consumers to spot fakes. Fraudsters also create phishing websites, often using malvertising (malicious advertising) and other illicit search engine optimization (SEO) tactics on retail or service websites to entice victims.
  • ATM / POS Skimming: With the increase in foot traffic at brick-and-mortar merchants and ATMs, threat actors will likely target ATM and POS terminals with skimming attacks.
  • OTP Bypass and Provisioning Fraud: Visa identified many one-time-passcode (OTP) bypass schemes to gain access to cardholders’ accounts. In this scheme, OTP templates are sent to the victims that appear to be associated with desired purchase.
  • Physical Theft: Threat actors may attempt to physically steal payment cards and/or phones from unsuspecting consumers in crowded retail stores, shopping malls, or parking lots.

Ms. Dung Dang, Visa Country Manager for Vietnam and Laos, stated: "As we approach the holiday season, it's crucial for consumers to remain vigilant and adopt secure shopping habits,” she said. “Our latest Threats Report signals an anticipated surge in scam activities during this period, both in physical and online transactions, driven by the growing trend in eCommerce and increased in-person spending. Awareness and following safe shopping practices are paramount to safeguarding against potential threats; hence, we hope this list will protect consumers from frauds and ensure a secure shopping experience during this festive period."

 

 

10 Habits to Help Consumers Shop Securely

Visa’s 10 Habits for Good Security Hygiene can guide consumers who are planning to shop this holiday season on best practices to stay safe. Highlights from Visa’s tips include:

  • Double Check Reputation and Authenticity of Retailers: Stick to trusted and retailers you know well. If you're considering a purchase from a store you're not familiar with, do some research to check their reputation and authenticity. 
  • Secure Your Personal Information: Make sure the website uses secure technology. When at the checkout, the website address should start with 'https://'. The 's' stands for secure and means that your data is being encrypted and sent over a secure connection. 
  • Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Shopping: Public Wi-Fi networks are often unsecured, which makes it easier for hackers to steal your information. Always use a secure, private internet connection when you're making purchases. 
  • Beware of Deals That Are Too Good to Be True: Offers on websites and in unsolicited emails can often sound too good to be true, especially extremely low prices on hard-to-get items. Consumers should be suspicious of such deals, as they often are.

At Visa, security and reliability is a top priority year-round. Over the past five years, the company has invested more than $10 billion in technology, including to reduce fraud and increase network security. More than a thousand dedicated specialists protect Visa’s network from malware, zero-day attacks and insider threats 24x7x365. In fact, in the first six months of 2023, Visa helped to proactively block $30 billion in fraud, preventing many from ever knowing they were at risk of a potential fraudulent transaction. We encourage consumers to stay alert during this season and think about where they are shopping and who they are sharing their information with to keep it safe.

 

1 Top merchant categories include home improvement and supply, telecommunications, business to business, healthcare, automotive, entertainment, education and government, lodging, insurance, airlines, and drug store and pharmacies.

 

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. We believe economies that include everyone uplifts everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.