Deck The Halls, Not A Scammer’s Pockets

The holidays are a time for giving: People are searching online for the best sales, the hottest new gift item, and charities to donate to in the holiday spirit. But be aware: Scammers know that the winter typically means increased donations, online shopping, and sales and seek to take advantage of the holiday spirit.  

COMMON HOLIDAY SCAMS
 

• Holiday emails and e-cards phishing attempts: Getting digital holiday cards and emails from your favorite retailers can be a pleasant surprise. What’s not pleasant is one turning out to be a phishing attempt. Be careful of clicking links in these holiday themed emails. They may just be a scammer trying to get your personal information or worse.  

• Fake charities: Donations typically increase during the wintertime and majority of people donate online. Scammers will create fake charities to take advantage of people’s goodwill and steal hard-earned money, payment details, and personal information. If you’re ever unsure if a group is legitimate, check the Federal Trade Commission website. Additionally, scammers may also attempt to impersonate a legitimate charity. Make sure to check the URL of the site that you’re on to confirm if it’s real. Be sure to check small details as well, such as a missing or repeated letter in the URL. Scammers count on consumers not catching on to a URL that is extremely similar but not the same as the legitimate websites.  

• Fraudulent package delivery notices: Scammers will send texts and emails about an issue with your package delivery, oftentimes with a link. These fraudulent notices will often come with a made-up story to evoke a sense of urgency in the victim. For example, they might say that your package is currently being held at a shipping facility because they need to reconfirm your personal information before they are able to ship it to you. Always be wary of unsolicited texts and emails, even if they look legitimate.  

• Trendy gifts at low prices: It’s often hard to tell a fake website apart from a legitimate one at first glance nowadays. Scammers will go to great lengths to make their website appear legitimate. They’ll use stolen images or post fake ads on legitimate websites. Remember: If something that’s being offered seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Be careful of hot products that are listed at a drastically reduced price.  

• Fake social media offers: Scammers will also advertise great promotions of products on social media platforms. Again, be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.  
  
   

AI AND TECH-DRIVEN SCAMS 

• Fake customer support bots: Scammers will create fake chatbots and support lines for popular, legitimate retail stores and delivery companies. Once you contact them they may attempt to harvest payment info or install malware.  

• Gift card payment scams: Get a call from your utilities company saying that you must pay them a certain amount in gift cards or they’ll shut off your water and electricity? Definitely a scam. Scammers will demand payment via gift cards for anything from taxes, unexpected invoices, or emergencies. But no legitimate business or government entity will ever demand gift cards as payment and they’ll probably give you more than 24 hours to make a payment before they shut anything off.  

• AI voice cloning and deepfake calls: AI can now replicate a voice with only 3 seconds of audio which can be taken from places such as social media and voicemail messages. Always use a verified number if you get a call from someone like your grandparent or boss urgently asking you for money or gift cards.  

• AI generated phishing emails and texts: AI can help scammers create polished, professional, and highly personalized emails and texts meant to steal your information or install malware. They’ll try to impersonate legitimate retailers, delivery services and more. Be extremely careful of unsolicited emails and texts.  

KEEP YOURSELF SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON 

• Beware of big discounts on hot gift items, especially when it’s promoted through social media or unfamiliar websites. 

• Avoid unsolicited emails or text messages that ask you to click on a link to access a deal or arrange a delivery. 

• Hover over email links before clicking. This will show the website’s URL and allow you to inspect it for anything that appears suspicious like a missing or repeated letter.  

• Use verified phone numbers and emails when there’s a problem with your order rather than a link you’ve been sent.