Holiday Season Scams

The holiday season is upon us. Soon, we will be seeing the neighborhood light shows, shoppers pounding the pavement, and hearing holiday music through the air. Unfortunately, when purchasing ramps up, so do the scammers. During this season, you need to be extra careful to avoid pitfalls designed to separate you from your money or steal your information. Arming yourself with knowledge and awareness of the ploys will go far to help protect your holiday cheer.

Types of Fraud to Watch For

1. Online Shopping Scams: All types of shopping increase at the end of the year, traditional and online. If you are more comfortable doing your shopping from the couch, be on the lookout for fake websites, phishing emails, and counterfeit products. Make sure to verify the authenticity of websites before making purchases.
2. Phishing and Social Engineering: Be cautious of unsolicited emails or messages requesting. Especially ones that ask for personal or financial details and always verify the sender’s identity.
3. Identity Theft: Whether online or in person, be guarded with your payment. Ensure you’re using a secure payment method online and check card payment machine for skimmers. Examine your accounts for unfamiliar activities. Consider getting identity theft insurance for extra security.
4. Gift Card Scams: Gift cards have become a hot topic in the fraud world because they are difficult to trace. If someone calls you and asks you to buy gift cards for payment of anything, it is a scam. Also, when you purchase gift cards for a present, ensure the card is not compromised. Before you give the card, try to check to make sure it is appropriately funded. Criminals are finding ways to hack the card and take the funds. If you receive a card like this, inform the retailer. A reputable store should be able to track the transaction history of the card.
5. Porch Pirates: Unfortunately, package theft is a real nuisance, and it is especially prevalent around the holidays. Think about the most secure ways for your packages to be delivered successfully. Consider having packages held at a local pickup location.
6. Charity Scams: Con artists often take advantage of the goodwill of everyday citizens. Investigate charitable organizations prior to making donations to ensure they are authentic.
7. Travel Scams: Because traveling increases during the holidays, scammers have another avenue to exploit. Watch for fake deals on accommodations or transportation. Always book through reliable sources and be cautious of unsolicited offers.
8. Job Scams:Obviously, more help wanted ads are posted because the extra help is needed during heavier shopping times. Beware of fake job postings. If someone asks you to pay to work for them, it is a scam.

Not just during the holiday season but year-round, you can shield your information and finances against fraudsters by practicing the points listed below.

Tips for Fraud Prevention

• Verify Identity– Be sure you know who you are dealing with on the phone, online, or in person. If you cannot be 100% sure, research until you are positive that you are in an honest situation.
• Ask Questions– Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Legal businesses and entities are happy to help answer concerns. If inquiring causes a person you are doing business with to get irate, take that as a red flag.
• Look at web addresses and email addresses carefully – Spoofed websites often have similar addresses to authentic companies. They hope it is close enough to the real deal for you not to notice.
• Don’t let anyone bully you– Scammers often use high-pressure methods to encourage quick decision-making from their targets. Decide that you will not be pushed into deciding anything too quickly.
• Be cautious of unsolicited communications – If you receive a mailer, email, text, or phone that you did not seek out, and they want any information or money, move slowly to ensure the communication is authentic.
• Don’t believe offers that are too good to be true– These counterfeit offers from scammers are preying on the deep-rooted needs and wants of unsuspecting individuals.
• Pay attention to spelling and grammar– Remember that many fraud rings are not from English-speaking countries. Misspelled emails and texts can indicate that the communication is a fraud attempt.

Where to Report

If you think someone is attempting to fraud you, or someone you love, or you have been defrauded, your best action is to report it. Tell the local authorities. Tell your neighbors, family, and friends. And tell anyone who will listen. By recounting your story, you can help others not fall prey. You can help authorities put clues together that may catch the bad guys. You can be part of the solution to these heinous crimes. Below is a list of sources to report your statement.

• Make a statement to the Florida Attorney General’s Fraud Hotline at 866-9NO-SCAM.
• Floridians can report a scam via the No Scam App or by visiting Fraud Free Florida.
• Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.