Holiday Scams and How To

Avoid Them

As the holiday season approaches, the air is filled with excitement and anticipation. The streets are bustling with people trying to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones, while the warm glow of twinkling lights and the sounds of cheerful carols create a magical atmosphere. However, amidst all the holiday cheer, some seek to take advantage of the heightened emotions and vulnerability often accompanying this time of year. These unscrupulous individuals prey on unsuspecting victims, whether through phishing scams targeting those searching for last-minute deals, fraudulent charity solicitations exploiting people's generosity, or any other nefarious schemes. To stay safe, let's look at some of the most popular holiday scams.

Seasonal Job Scams

Seasonal job seekers face a minefield of scams, as dishonest individuals try to exploit those looking to supplement their income during busy times of the year, such as the holidays. Job seekers need to be aware of some common red flags when looking for seasonal employment.

Demanding payment upfront for job supplies, training fees, or other supposed necessities, before any actual hiring takes place. Legitimate employers will never require candidates to pay for the privilege of working for them.
Receiving a ‘check’ from an ‘employer’ that is intended to cover various job-related costs, that require the recipient to send a portion of that money back. Those checks are counterfeit, leaving the victim responsible.
The offer of unusually high wages for seemingly simple tasks. This is an attempt to lure in desperate job seekers with the promise of easy money.

Possibly extending job offers without ever conducting an interview, a surefire indicator that the position is not genuine.

Jobseekers must be aware of these and other suspicious behaviors to avoid falling victim to such scams.

Free Gift Cards

Scammers are always working on new, sophisticated schemes to scam unwary consumers into surrendering their personal and financial data. One of their latest tactics is phishing emails that promise free or discounted gift cards. These enticing offers may appear to come from well-known, reputable companies, but in reality, they are nothing more than malicious attempts to steal your data. The scammers behind these phishing emails are banking on the lure of a potential freebie or discount to catch your attention and get you to let your guard down.

Once you click on the links provided in the email, you could be exposing your device to malware that can infiltrate your system and give the scammers access to your sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial account numbers, and more. Alternatively, the links may direct you to a fake website designed to mimic a legitimate company's page, where you'll be prompted to enter your personal details - information that will then be harvested by the criminals. Even if the email looks completely authentic, you must never respond or click on anything, no matter how tempting the offer may seem. These gift card scams can also manifest as text messages, so it's important to be just as vigilant with unsolicited messages on your mobile device.

Look Alike Retail Sites

Another common tactic is creating websites that are designed to mimic the appearance and branding of trusted, well-known retailers. These counterfeit sites are carefully crafted to look nearly identical to the real thing, down to the logos, product images, and even the URL. The goal is to lure in shoppers who are searching for deals and trick them into believing they are on the legitimate website of a reputable company. In addition to these spoofed sites, scammers will sometimes create entirely fabricated retail websites from scratch, populating them with what appear to be enticing sales and promotions. These fly-by-night operations spring up quickly, often just for the holiday period, before disappearing just as fast, leaving victims who placed orders with no recourse. Consumers must be extremely vigilant, especially when receiving unsolicited emails, text messages, or online ads touting incredible bargains. Even if the retailer name seems familiar, a slight misspelling in the link or domain name is a telltale sign of a scam.

Fake Charities

Scammers often try to take advantage of people's generosity and desire to help others in need, especially around this time of year. These unscrupulous individuals may create fake charities or pose as individuals facing hardship, all to trick unsuspecting donors into handing over their hard-earned money. Here are some things to look for to help in identifying fake charities.

Pressuring potential givers into making a donation on the spot, before they have a chance to verify the legitimacy of the organization.
Requesting payment in cash, gift cards, or through wire transfers, which can be harder to track and recover than donations made by credit card or check.
An organization that is unwilling or unable to provide specifics about how the donated funds will be used to help those in need.
Promising potential donors the chance to win a lucrative sweepstakes prize if they contribute, when in reality no such contest exists.

Fake Travel Booking Sites

Scammers have become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, creating elaborate websites that closely mimic the look and feel of legitimate travel booking platforms. When consumers search online for flights, hotels, or other travel accommodations at their desired destinations, these fraudulent sites often appear high in the search results, their enticing offers and rock-bottom prices tempting unsuspecting travelers to book through them. Victims who have fallen prey to these scams have reported being charged significantly more than the advertised price, only to find that their reservations were never actually made or that their personal and financial information had been compromised.

Attempting to get a refund from these scammers is usually impossible, as they have no intention of honoring the booking or providing any customer service. To avoid the stress and potential financial losses associated with these deceptive websites, it's better to always book directly through the airline, hotel, or a well-known, reputable third-party travel site. This may require a little more time and effort, this ensures that your travel plans are secure and that you're not inadvertently lining the pockets of cunning con artists.

Shipping Scams

With the arrival of the holiday season, scammers ramp up their efforts to exploit the surge in online shopping. Another common tactic they employ is sending out fake shipping confirmation emails and text messages, designed to appear as if they are coming from the U.S. Postal Service or other legitimate shipping providers. These messages often claim that the company is having difficulty delivering a package to the recipient, or they may request that the recipient update their delivery preferences.

The goal is to lure unsuspecting consumers into clicking on the links provided, which will then either direct them to a fraudulent website where their personal information can be stolen or download malicious software onto their devices. Cybercriminals know that people are on the lookout for important shipping updates during the holiday rush, and they leverage this sense of urgency and anticipation to perpetrate their schemes.

Conclusion

Consumers must remain vigilant during the holiday season, by avoiding clicking on any suspicious links, and thoroughly researching any that seems too good to be true. Victims who fall for any of these scams may end up having their identities compromised, and their computers infected with malware, leading to a host of further problems down the line, or worse. The bottom line is that if something seems too good to be true, it most likely is, and engaging in these phishing attempts will only lead to disastrous consequences for your digital security and identity. The safest course of action is to delete these messages immediately and steer clear of any unsolicited offers for gifts or prizes.

Additional Resources

It's crucial that we remain vigilant and arm ourselves with knowledge to ensure that the holiday season remains a time of joy, not heartbreak. By staying informed about the most common holiday scams, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the wonder and celebration that this special time of year has to offer. With a little bit of caution and a lot of holiday spirit, we can keep the magic alive and make sure that the most wonderful time of the year truly lives up to its name.

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Holiday Scams and How To

Avoid Them

Seasonal Job Scams

Free Gift Cards

Look Alike Retail Sites

Fake Charities

Fake Travel Booking Sites

Shipping Scams

Conclusion

Additional Resources

General Information

Report a Scam

Victim Support Information

For Families and Friends of Victims

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