Online phishing attacks were up by more than 40% last month, according to EMC's Security Division.
The multinational, which employs 3,000 people in Ireland, says nearly 56,000 phishing attacks took place worldwide in June, causing damages worth up to €355.2 million.
Phishing is an online method of fraud where internet users get a legitimate-looking email in an attempt to gather personal and financial information.
Airlines (46% of attacks), money transfer services (16%) and electronics retailers (13%) were the most defrauded online merchants. The average fraudulent purchase is estimated to be €970.
57% of phishing attacks were conducted against companies based in the United States, followed by 7% in the Netherlands and 6% in the United Kingdom.
Gerry Murray, Country Manager for EMC Ireland, advises online buyers to “carefully inspect each website for signs of fraud: a suspicious URL or lack of secure encryption at the payment processing screen - represented by a padlock or shield icon in your address bar - are red flags that the site is not safe and is a potential scam. Trust your instinct and go elsewhere if you are not convinced.”
He also stresses that consumers should do their research to ensure a site is trustworthy before buying, and to notify your bank if any suspicious activity is detected on your account.
