technical-security

[technical-security]

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Holiday Scam

The holidays come just once a year. As we celebrate with our family and friends by exchanging gifts, there are plenty of opportunities for memories that will last a lifetime. With gift shopping, we also must face the unfortunate fact that there will be an increased opportunity for criminals to steal our money and we become a victim of a holiday scam. You may have seen lots of ads for “Christmas Scams” on Google and other search engines, but did you know that these are very real? The influx of scam emails around Christmas is overwhelming. You think you're being offered great deals or need to update your account, but it's just a trap.

Our Holiday Scam blog offers information about online scams and tips to avoid them. 

Types Of Scams

1. Social Media Gift Exchanges

Recently we've seen a lot of scams related to social media gift exchanges and they're difficult to tell apart from the real thing. The scam seems to come back in a different form every year. One idea is to trade bottles of wine, another is to buy a $10 gift online. Another asks you to submit your email to a list from which participants can pick a name and send money to strangers to “pay it forward.” 

All of the variants share one common theme: they trick users into sharing their personal information, like family members and friends. They are also tricked into buying and mailing gifts or money to unknown individuals.

2. Holiday Apps

A new type of cyber-crime is targeting holiday apps. These scam apps trick users into paying money for fake holidays like Christmas or Halloween or even asking for donations in order to access premium features. So before installing any app, please make sure to review the permissions it is requesting and read their privacy policy to find out what information they are collecting. There are some holiday apps that may help make the season more jolly for children and adults, but care is still needed.

3. Free Gift Cards

Scammers send bulk phishing emails asking you to give up personal information and, in return, the user will receive a free gift card. They may also be using pop-up ads or sending texts that say they were randomly selected to win a prize. Do not click on unsolicited emails with gift card offers! Instead, you can use the Report Phish button provided in Outlook or Office 365 email. It would be best not to click on any links if you've already opened the email.

4. Look-Alike Websites

Look-alike website scam has been a huge issue recently. It is one of the top most reasons why people lose money. There are a lot of ways that scamsters use to lure their victims. One of these is to copy your website and sell it for cheap. This can cost you big time. Some websites have come under question because of their propensity for look-alike sites to trick people into downloading malicious software. If you don't know where a link will take you, do not click on it! Instead, hover over it to see where it will lead.

 How to protect yourself

Always double check the URL to make sure the site is legitimate and secure.

Avoid clicking on unfamiliar links and don’t open unexpected emails from unknown senders. If a company you don’t know clicks you up on an email, refrain from clicking any links or opening attachments.

When purchasing items online, make sure you have a tracking number. Then, keep following the delivery process until it gets to you.

You should never buy things with pre-paid gift cards.

Always use a credit card for shopping and check your statement every month. If you see something that doesn't seem right, call your credit card company to dispute the charge.

Never wire money to a seller.