The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests that cybercrooks have a new bag of tricks designed to trick and trap consumers. Those cybercrooks have apparently gotten smarter, too, now using “dark patterns” that aim to trick or manipulate consumers into buying products or services or an even bigger prize of giving up their privacy.
In a new report – Bringing Dark Patterns to Light – the agency says there’s been a seismic shift from the traditional tactics thieves would use to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers.
For years, unscrupulous direct-mail and brick-and-mortar retailers have used design tricks and psychological tactics such as pre-checked boxes, hard-to-find-and-read disclosures, and confusing cancellation policies, to get consumers to give up their money or data. Lately, they appear to have stepped up their game.
“Our report shows how more and more companies are using digital dark patterns to trick people into buying products and giving away their personal information,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “This report—and our cases—send a clear message that these traps will not be tolerated.”
What to look for
The FTC warns consumers to be on the lookout for three separate schemes that could take off with their money and their identity.
Misleading Consumers and Disguising Ads: The agency says the biggest of the dark pattern tactics is disguising ads to look like…
