Sholeh: These Grinches are after your money
Rushing is just part of the holiday season. With a to-do list a mile long, it’s easy to forget about monitoring accounts, double-checking links or taking online precautions that have become a necessary part of modern life.
Fraudsters take full advantage.
According to the FBI, tens of thousands of people fall victim to holiday scams, especially online. A 2023 FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center report (the latest available) says holiday scams cost consumers more than $300 million each year, along with an additional $173 million in credit card fraud.
Watch out for these common scams, culled from a variety of tech security sites:
Social media: Fraudsters set up fake online stores and use social media to advertise them. Victims order items they never receive. If you find something you like, don’t enter any information from a link you followed (better yet, don’t click the link). Instead go straight to the store site in a separate browser window, after clearing your browser history. If it isn’t a well-known store, research it before ordering.
Play it safe, stay local: Local stores rely on holiday sales to keep doors open and contribute to a healthy local economy, so if you can get it locally, please support them instead and ensure your sales tax dollars stay in your area.
Shipment “updates:” Via text or email, a “delivery failure” or tracking notice asks for updated address or other information, using common names such as Amazon, FedEx or USPS (note: the U.S. Postal Service never texts links).
The message often contains malware that can hack into your device or the fraudster uses your entered information to steal an identity or account. If you’re concerned about a shipment, use your original purchase confirmation to contact the seller.
Fake charities: Especially egregious is taking advantage of charitable inclinations. Like social media scams, these replicate a charity website or create a compelling GoFundMe appeal asking for money.
It’s always safer to separately contact the charity or requesting individual (only people you actually know and whose requests you can verify outside social media are safe GoFundMe bets) to get legitimate information. When unsure of an online charity, Charity Navigator is a good resource to check.
Better yet, keep your giving local. Local charities serve your community and rely on local donors to survive.
Airline ticket scams: Again, these are fake airline or travel site emails advertising cheap tickets. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Use airlines themselves or well-known travel services instead. Typically, the crazy-low price isn’t really cheaper than the airline, once all the “extras” such as seats and so on are purchased.
Fake surveys or giveaways: Often impersonating well-known names such as Walmart or Microsoft, scammers offer alluring opportunities to win or claim you’ve won already. They steal passwords, personal and financial data. Some are easy to spot simply by looking at the sender’s email address, but be careful: Even some of these use the company name in the address, slightly altered.
General tips: Sign up for alerts through your bank’s online portal or app to monitor your accounts for unauthorized transactions. It’s also wise to enroll in a reputable credit monitoring service that monitors identity information, including on the dark web. Costco’s is less than $10 per month. According to Forbes, the best include Norton’s LifeLock, McAfee and Identity Force.
Don’t provide digital banking credentials to anyone. No legitimate company will ask for login or password information. FedEx and other shippers never ask for credit card or Social Security numbers to “find” your shipment.
Avoid entering card information on web pages. Instead, use separately stored payment information such as PayPal or Venmo when possible. Ensure your computers and mobile devices are protected with antivirus, anti-spyware and a firewall. Avoid entering personal information while using public wifi.
Finally, don’t fall for fear, hard sell or “wow” tactics. If a price is drastically below the competition, it may be a scam.
Shop local whenever possible. Many local retailers now also sell online if you can’t get out and if you can go, it’s a great way to stay connected with the community and share some holiday cheer.
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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email sholeh@cdapress.com.