Holiday Scams to Avoid

Scams always surface around the busy holiday season, with many variations around everyday fraud, ramped up to match seasonal spikes in spending and web traffic.

Fraudsters often target online shopping, as scammers seek to snag profits via bogus websites and social media campaigns that impersonate major brands. These “spoofing” sites entice shoppers to spend money for products they’ll never receive.

Plus, scams are almost always vehicles for harvesting credit card numbers and other personal data that criminals use to commit identity theft or buy and sell stolen goods.

Watch for this type of activity:

Delivery scams: Often scammers send out phishing emails and texts disguised as UPS, FedEx or U.S. Postal Service notifications about incoming or missed deliveries. These may include links lead to phony sign-in pages asking for personal information, which leads to further fraudulent activity.

Travel scams: Some criminals send scam emails and texts offering promotions such as free flights to get you to share credit card information or click on links that download malware. Also be wary of the many spoofed websites pretending to be legitimate hotels, airlines and other travel-related businesses.

Additional Warning Signs

• Huge discounts on hot gift items, especially when touted on social media posts or unfamiliar websites.

• Spelling errors or shoddy grammar on a shopping website or in an email or text.

• An unsolicited email that asks you to click on a link or download an app to access a deal or arrange a delivery.

• Pressure from a charity fundraiser to donate right away.

Those are just a few of the warning signs, so exercise extreme caution as you make your purchases during this holiday season!

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