The holidays are generally about the gift of giving, goodwill towards others. Unfortunately, there are others who will use the holiday season to take advantage of individuals’ generosity and faith in mankind. They are the real grinches who stole not only the Christmas spirit but your money, security, trust, and faith.
Here are some scams that you need to be aware of during the holiday season.
Online Shopping Scams
While there has been an increase in online shopping with more and more people are avoiding the lines at the mails and using online retailers, you need to be hyper-vigilant about how and where you share information, and beware of fraudulent retailers and organizations.
It’s easy to hit the “Buy” button from anywhere when you’re on your phone or on your laptop. But be sure you’re not sharing personal or credit card information over shared or public WI-FI. Make sure that you are logged on to a secure network to make a purchase.
Gift Card Scams
While gift cards are a convenient gift for the holidays, they also can come with some unexpected surprises attached. Make sure that your gift card is protected, avoid selecting those on the rack and ask for one directly from the counter.
Social Media Exclusive Scams
Social media has been a playground for scammers. During the holidays many will offer special exclusive deals to entice your purchase, While some may be legitimate, many are pretending to be actual retailers or just out right fakes. Make sure that the post is from a reputable retailer, one you know and follow. Check their actual social media pages and websites to make sure it is coming from them. Carefully read reviews, look for security credentials on websites, and research unfamiliar retailers before you take advantage of a discount.
Email Delivery Scams
If you’re expecting packages over the holidays shippers will often provide updates on the status of our orders and delivery notifications. Knowing this, scammers will send phishing emails pretending to be from companies like FedEx and UPS to lure us to phony webpages and get us to share personal information. Look closely at delivery notifications and email updates before you click on links or input information. Remember UPS, FedEx, DHL do not ask for personal information via email.
Charity & Investment Scams
As you make charitable giving and investment decisions over the holidays, there are a host of resources to help you avoid the many scammers and less-than-reputable charities and organizations asking for your money. Before you give, make sure you are familiar with the organization. If you are not, do some research online or with others you trust who may have worked with those organizations in the past.
Before making year-end investment decisions, make sure to do your research before making any investment decisions. There are many online resources you can check or if you have an advisor check with them before investing with anyone outside of that.
If you think you or someone you know might have been scammed, please give 360 Consumer Law™ for a consultation. We are dedicated to protecting consumers and righting wrongs.
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