Tips to avoid holiday scams
- Kim Thompson: Better Business Bureau
- December 9, 2018
- 1157
'Tis the season to be jolly. Unfortunately the holidays are not a time of rest for scammers, and with all of the holiday distractions, they target people hoping they will be too busy to notice the red flags of a possible scam. Your Better Business Bureau is reminding consumers to remain vigilant and alert during the holiday season.
Holiday Phishing Cons: Around the holidays beware of emails pretending to be from businesses like UPS, FedEx or major retailers with links to package tracking information. Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments to emails until you have confirmed they are not malicious. Some emails can infect your computer with a virus or download malware if you click a link. Email addresses that don't match up, typos and grammatical errors are common red flags of a phishing scam. Make sure you have current antivirus software on your computer.
"Dear Santa" Scams: While there are legitimate organizations and businesses that sell letters from Santa, con artists also are in the market to steal credit card information and personal information. Check out the reputation of a business at www.bbb.org before committing to a service. Read the site's privacy policy to see how your child's information can be used and if it will be shared with any third parties.
Fake Puppies for Sale: Scammers create fake websites or online listings claiming to be puppy breeders, luring people in with cute pictures and promises of adopting a healthy puppy. Before the dog can be delivered, the expecting family must pay an adoption fee, shipping costs, insurance and veterinarian fees via wire transfer. Once money is sent, the puppy never ends up arriving. Remember that if you have a puppy shipped, you don't know anything about it. Arrange to visit and pick up the dog in person. Check the breeder's credentials with BBB and the American Kennel Club and obtain an independent veterinarian checkup to ensure the puppy is healthy before the adoption.
Identity Theft and ATM Skimmers: While you're struggling with bags of presents, identity thieves may try to steal your wallet or look over your shoulder to copy your debit or credit card numbers. Don't let yourself get bogged down in purchases or lose track of your wallet. Make sure you put your card back in your wallet after each purchase. Cover the keypad when entering your pin number while purchasing items or getting money from an ATM. To steal your credit or debit card information, scammers install skimming devices at ATMs or put faceplates over payment terminals so they can access your accounts. Tape is often used to attach the skimming devices. If something looks odd, wiggle it to make sure it doesn’t come loose.
Fake Data Breach Claims: Taking advantage of data breach fears, scammers will call pretending to be retailers asking for personal information to "sort things out." If you are unsure of a caller's claims, call the company's known customer-service number directly and ask to speak to the fraud department. Because you called the number, you should be safe to give out personal information if asked.
Spot a business or offer that sounds like an illegal scheme or fraud? Tell your BBB. Help us investigate and warn others by reporting what you know. Report and track the latest scams targeting your area this holiday season at www.BBB.org/ScamTracker.