Holiday Scams

What to Watch Out for and How to Stay Safe

It's the holiday season - a time to celebrate, give thanks and....shop!  And while you're busy online shopping and checking items off your list, fraudsters are behind the scenes trying to steal your privacy, and your money.

To keep you safe this holiday season, we've compiled a list of common holiday scams and tips on how to protect yourself from falling victim to these scams.

Online Shopping

At this time of year, consumers are in the mood for buying, but fraudsters are in the mood for taking.  In this scam, fraudsters pose as genuine sellers and post fake ads for items that do not exist.  Usually, the price is too good to be true. 

How to stay safe: When shopping online, pay close attention to the domain, or better yet, purchase your goods from a site you know you can trust.  Never provide personal or credit card information on a site that you cannot confirm is legitimate.  And lastly, always live by the rule..."if it's too good to be true, it probably is."

Secret Santa

You've probably seen Secret Santa gift exchanges all over social media - you give one gift card and are promised many more in return.  These scammers are looking for personal information such as your home address, or even better, an etransfer email.

How to stay safe: Avoid clicking on links on social media and never enter your personal information.

Gift Cards

Beware if you receive a message that pressures you to act or requests payments via gift cards.  In a gift card scam, fraudsters use pressure tactics to trick you into sending online gift cards to pay off debts they claim you owe.  You may receive a call, text or email asking you to send a gift card or read the numbers on the back of a gift card over the phone.

How to stay safe: Never provide gift card info, or personal information over the phone, through text or e-mail.  If a financial institution or government agency is contacting you for personal information, call the organization directly to determine legitimacy.

Counterfeit Merchandise

Watch out for huge flashy discount ads, directing you to websites that appear to be legitimate.  With this type of scam, fraudsters will create fake websites, similar to a legitimate site, and will sell inferior merchandise at lower prices.

How to stay safe: It's easy for scammers to create fake logos and websites so look closely to determine if the site is legitimate.  Always follow the rule..."If it's too good to be true, it probably is."

Stay cyber-safe this holiday season!

Source: Cumis