Bangkok, Thailand – As the highly anticipated 12.12 shopping festival and other year-end sales approach, Palo Alto Networks is warning consumers to be wary of cyber threats. This is because online shopping and financial transactions increase during this period. Cybercriminals may take this opportunity to defraud shoppers, whether through phishing scams, fraudulent websites, or payment fraud.
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According to reports on damages in Thailand, over the past 3 years (March 1, 2022 – October 31, 2024), there have been over 708,141 victims of online fraud, amounting to 74.8 billion baht in damages. Most of the scams involve the sale of goods or services, resulting in as much as 4.72 billion baht in damages.
Mr. Piya Jitnimit, Country Manager of Thailand for Palo Alto Networks, said, “Thailand’s retail and e-commerce sectors have grown continuously. At the same time, cyber threats have become more sophisticated. Having stringent cybersecurity measures is therefore important. Although the government plays a major role in promoting a safe online environment, consumers must also be aware and prepared. Retailers and businesses need to take proactive measures to maintain security, while consumers should be careful when shopping online.”
Guidelines for Safe Online Shopping
Palo Alto Networks recommends the following guidelines for safety:
- Verify the authenticity of emails and offers before clicking on any links by looking at the spelling, unusual domains, and suspicious attachments.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all accounts, especially those used for online shopping.
- Shop through official channels. Choose to buy goods from trusted platforms and avoid unofficial websites.
- Beware of phishing scams. Don’t believe offers that seem too good to be true and fake order confirmation emails.
- Use strong passwords that are difficult to guess and unique for each account.
- Avoid sharing personal information such as ID card numbers or bank account numbers in response to spam.
Dee-Delivery Measures Enhance Online Shopping Safety
In addition, the Dee-Delivery measure, which allows customers to open packages before making payments, also helps increase safety for consumers by reducing the risk of paying in advance for items that may not be delivered or are of poor quality.
Mr. Piya said, “The Dee-Delivery measure is an effort by the government to protect consumers in order to prevent fraud and provide a safe online shopping experience. However, consumers should follow safe online practices, such as checking seller ratings, checking return policies, and checking the credibility of the platform.”
Businesses Must Be Prepared to Deal with Threats
As for businesses, they should be prepared to deal with cyber threats such as phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and DDoS attacks. Businesses should take a zero-trust approach, which emphasizes verifying users and devices accessing the network to prevent intrusion.
Mr. Piya concluded, “Taking a zero-trust approach is essential to creating a stable system and preventing cyber threats. This includes promoting collaboration between the government, businesses, and consumers to create a safe online environment.”
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