Consumers should be on the look out for online charitable donation scams this holiday season, according to security firm Cyveillance.

Consumers Warned Of Charitable Holiday Phishing Scams

There were over 23,000 confirmed, unique phishing attacks each month during the first half of the year and that number is expected to increase through December. On Thanksgiving alone, Cyveillance saw a 100 percent increase in phishing attacks as compared to the average number of attacks leading up to the holiday.

Additionally, phishers continue to be creative in their approach to luring consumers to their fake websites for purposes of identity theft and fraud. Cyveillance has recently uncovered multiple new attacks using targets ranging from Web hosting companies to the Center for Disease Control in order to attempt to add credibility to their fraud schemes. As the holidays approach, consumers can expect an even wider range of charities to be targeted for scams.

“Internet users need to be wary of online scams when making charitable donations as criminals are counting on the generosity and unsuspecting nature of consumers during the holidays to defraud reputable charity organizations,” said Panos Anastassiadis, COO for Cyveillance.

“To minimize the risk of falling victim to these attacks, consumers should only access online applications through known and trusted Web sites and avoid clicking on links within emails and social media sites.”