December 16, 2024

Don’t Get Scrooged: Identifying and Avoiding Christmas Scams

The holidays are a peak time for scams as fraudsters will take advantage of the rush, generosity, and distractions of the season. Scams may not always be as obvious as you would think, so it is important to be cautious when purchasing gifts for your loved ones. Listed below are some of the common fraud schemes you might come across during the Christmas season.

• Fake Websites: Scammers can create websites that appear to be legitimate retailers. Look for red flags like deals that seem too good to be true and misspelled URLs.
• Package Delivery Scams: You might receive emails or text messages claiming issues with package delivery that might lead you to click on malicious links or provide personal information. Be wary of receiving texts and emails from unknown senders.
• Charity Scams: During the holidays, some people look to give back through charities. Scammers use this to their advantage and will pose as a charity, sometimes rushing people into making a donation. Another way they can trick you is by thanking you for a donation you never paid for and then asking for payment. Be sure to research a charity before making a donation.
• Gift Card Scams: Scammers love gift cards because they are not traceable and there is no way to recover the money once the scammer receives the gift card information. They will pose to be from a government agency or a company you know and proceed to tell you to pay them with a gift card instantly or something bad will happen. If you get a call like this, hang up the phone.
• Fake Employers: If you are on the hunt for a new job this holiday season, beware of how scammers will take advantage of this. Scammers will pose as a recruiter and try to get sensitive information from you such as a social security number, a copy of your ID, your bank account information, and will claim to be processing your application.