With the Holiday season upon us, scammers are even more active, preying on human nature during this time of year.  Continue to be vigilant and cautious as you browse the web and social media or interact with your email, texts, and chat services.

Below is the text from MOREnet's blog post (available directly here: https://www.more.net/tis-the-season-for-holiday-scams/) from just a few days ago.

Scammers are especially active during the holiday season. The crooks are taking advantage of the consumer’s good cheer, generous nature, and hunt for good deals. Be vigilant and wary as you navigate through the holiday season. Here are a few rackets circulation that you should be aware of.

Charity Scams – Scammers tend to prey on our charitable spirit. Emails and social media sights can spoof legitimate charity organizations. Some tricks may include a slight name change or links to cloned websites. Always make sure you are donating to well-known charities by researching their authenticity. Go directly to the charity’s web page, without clicking on links in the email which may redirect you to insecure sights.

Social Media Markets – Shopping on social media marketplaces can be rewarding or dangerous. These markets are communities of individuals hoping to sell their wares to anyone willing to pay the price. But sometimes the cyber crook can be running the scheme. Check the reviews of the marketplace and the individual seller. Use safer online payment methods that offer some form of legal protection such as the marketplace’s online payment system or meet in person.

Social Media Gift Exchanges – Different versions of “Secret Santa” pop up every holiday season. This scam begins with an email or invitation on a social media platform to sign up for a fun holiday program. All the victim needs to do is add their name, address and other personal information to a list of unknown people who have also joined the activity. Then, choose a name from the list and send them a $10 gift as a way to ‘pay it forward’. In the end, the victim has given away personal information, money, and any hopes that their own wishes will be fulfilled.

Gift Card Scams – Take care when purchasing gift cards. Inspect the packaging to make sure the barcode has not been uncovered or an additional sticker has been applied on top of the code. Ensure the PIN has not been revealed. Scammers can record the PIN or apply a phony barcode that is associated with a card they control. Once paid for and activated, the crook can easily drain the balance.

Fake shipping notifications – All of this shopping online results in lots of home deliveries. Crooks can send emails and texts to victims claiming a problem with delivery of you package and request additional payment or other private information. Track your shipping from the site where the purchase was made.

Pet Scams – Many families are adding to their holiday joy with the addition of a pet. Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. Don’t sent money in advance. Do your research about the seller or organization.

Open Enrollment – This is the time to add or change your health coverage for Medicare. Keep in mind that anyone contacting you and claiming to be an agent of these systems is a crook. There are NO Medicare sales representatives. Don’t give information to anyone that calls you and insists they need this information so that you can keep your coverage.

Too Good to Be True – Finally, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Take a pass on these offers.

Keep the Cyber Grinch from ruining your holidays. Be skeptical and practical. Practice good online cybersecurity hygiene with these tips:

• Use secure connections. Use a VPN when possible and avoid public wi-fi.
• Shop only on secure websites. Look for https, a lock symbol or green color in the address bar.
• Use a credit card with a low credit limit, and only use it for online purchases.
• Use strong and unique passwords for each shopping site. Don’t store this information in your browser.
• Keep your anti-virus software up to date. Update your browsers too.
• Check reviews and reputations.
• Use a credit card rather than a debit card for online purchases. Debit cards have a direct link into your bank account. You might be able to recoup fraudulent charges made against it, but, until that happens, you could be broke. Federal law limits your liability from unauthorized purchases on your credit card.
• Never store your credit card information online.
• Read the fine print. Understand additional costs like shipping and handling, taxes, restocking fees or hidden costs. Look at descriptions of the product. Are the dimensions accurately depicted in the picture? Know about return policies.
• Avoid falling for click bait. You know, the pop up ads that appear on your social media page? These are just paid advertisers and are not necessarily vetted by the site.
• When shopping from your phone or other mobile device, use retailer apps secured from reputable stores (Google Play, Amazon, Apple, etc.).
• Consider checking out as a guest rather that creating an account. For a one-time purchase from a vendor, this makes sense and is one less account to keep track of.

Resources:
Charity Navigator
Reseller Ratings