More than 127 million Brazilians are expected to go shopping on Mother's Day, with an estimated turnover of around R$ 38 billion in the retail and service sectors, according to a survey by the National Confederation of Retail Leaders and SPC Brasil, in partnership with Offerwise Pesquisas. This significant volume of consumption raises concerns about cybercriminals, who take advantage of the date to intensify scams in digital environments.
According to experts from ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, the combination of high connectivity, the emotional appeal of the date, the search for better prices, and last-minute options increases exposure to fraud. Among the most recurring practices of cybercriminals on dates with high retail activity is the creation of cloned websites that faithfully reproduce the look and feel of major retailers, taking advantage of the public's trust in large brands. These sites often feature aggressive promotions that attract and mislead consumers.
Another frequent scam involves phishing, a technique in which criminals send messages via email, SMS, or social media with links that redirect to fake pages, simulating legitimate stores. With eye-catching promotions and discounts with a "countdown timer" to complete the purchase, the consumer may be tempted to access this environment and finalize the purchase. Once on the fraudulent domain, personal and banking data can be captured, or the person may even be tricked into completing payments. In some cases, after an attempted payment by card, the user is informed of an alleged error and instructed to complete the purchase via Pix (Brazil's instant payment system) or bank slip.
“Scams don’t just happen on unknown websites. Often, they start with sponsored ads or seemingly legitimate messages that appear in the consumer’s daily digital life, such as on social media. This broadens the reach of fraud and demands a more critical eye, even on channels considered trustworthy,” says Thales Santos, information security specialist at ESET Brazil.
Preference for digital shopping creates opportunities for scams
According to a study by CNDL/SPC Brasil, approximately 47% of consumers intend to make purchases online, mainly through apps (75%), websites (60%), and social media such as Instagram (25%). Among the most used channels are international retailers (55%), websites specializing in cosmetics (40%), and department stores (35%). In the ranking of most sought-after products, fashion items lead with 53%, followed by perfumes and cosmetics (50%). Chocolates and flowers appear with 24% each, while experiences such as dinners, spas, and trips are mentioned by 19%.
“The growing consumer preference for online shopping, with the convenience of saving time and not having to leave home, coupled with the wide range of stores and options, ends up creating an extremely favorable environment for scammers to infiltrate promotions and legitimate pages with malicious links and websites,” comments Santos.
In the digital environment, it's also common to see fraudulent profiles on social media and fake customer service representatives contacting people to offer support or special purchase conditions. In these situations, the goal is to induce the sharing of sensitive information or redirect payments to unofficial channels.
According to Santos, the use of new technologies has increased the sophistication of these practices. “Today, criminals can personalize approaches based on user behavior, using public data and consumption patterns to make the scam more convincing. This means that fraud depends not only on technology, but also on how the message is constructed,” he explains.
To reduce the risk of falling victim to scams, ESET recommends adopting the following practices:
- Be wary of prices that are significantly below the market average;
- Avoid clicking on links received via messages, emails, or social media;
- Access stores by typing the address directly into the browser;
- Check if the website has a secure connection (https) and if the domain name is spelled correctly;
- Research the store's reputation before making a purchase;
- Use security solutions that block malicious websites;
- Prefer credit card payments, which allow for disputes.
Beyond technological tools, user behavior is a determining factor in prevention. “A large part of scams depend on decisions made in haste. Interrupting this impulse, reviewing information, and validating the origin of the offer are simple actions that significantly reduce the risk of loss,” concludes Santos.
