Staying Vigilant During the Holidays

The holiday season is here! And yes, it is one of the most wonderful times of the year, but it is also one of the most important times of year to be aware of scams. Which is why we’ve gathered a list of common holiday scams to help identify and avoid them. 
 

• Delivery/package scams: Most people rely on online shopping for the holidays so it’s not surprising that scammers have come up with new tactics to target these deliveries. 
  • The most common scam involves receiving a text message with information about your recent order. The text typically includes messages that entice you to click on a link, such as “Click to view tracking updates” or “Click to view your new estimated delivery date”. Make sure you never click on these links and instead go to the website where you made your purchase and check on it’s status there. 
  • If you have ever received a note on your door that indicates you have missed a package or it couldn’t be delivered, avoid calling the number left on the note. Scammers want you to call so they can ask questions to verify your identity. To avoid this scam, find the carrier’s customer service number and call them to inquire about the package. 

• Gift cards: Gift card sales tend to heat up during the holidays which means so do the scams associated with them. Typically, scammers will steal batches of gift cards from stores, take note of the card numbers and activation codes, and then return them to the stores in hopes of customers loading them with money. To prevent this, try purchasing a gift card that is closer to a register or monitored area. 
• Fraudulent charities: Scammers will take advantage of your generosity during the season of giving. Many create fake charities or GoFundMe pages with very convincing stories. Ensure you verify the charity or any other information prior to donating. 
• Fake online stores: Beware of cybercriminals creating online lookalike shops to steal sensitive information. Double check the URL to make sure the entire thing is accurate. Sometimes scammers will create these duplicate sites and remove one letter from the URL. Additionally, if you have clicked on a link from a social media ad, you may want to open a new browser, search for that store’s URL and shop that way. This ensures you are clicking on the actual site rather than being directed to the site from an ad that could be a scam.

We wish you a wonderful holiday season, free of stress and scams. If you happen to fall victim, we encourage you to contact us and report it to the FTC. Happy holidays!