3 VERY common Holiday Scams to be aware of

It’s the Holidays which means we are getting ready to wind down and take some time off to relax with family and friends. It is also the time of year where our guard is down so scammers are hard at work trying to get us to part with our info and money!

Be aware of these common Holiday Scams:

Package Delivery Scams:

What happens: Scammer knows that we are frantically waiting for the last of the Christmas presents to be delivered, so this is where they pounce.

You receive an email from popular delivery companies such as FedEx, UPS, USPS, or Amazon. The email claims that there are issues with your delivery and to click on the link to correct the issues.

What’s the aim: The aim is for you to reveal personal information such as confirming your delivery address, your contact details, and in some cases confirming your credit card information.

What to do: If you receive an email about a delivery and are indeed waiting for one, log onto the company’s website directly, enter your tracking number and see if there are indeed any issues. Don’t click on the links in the email.

Charity Scams:

What happens: Scammers play on your giving-mood and set up fake charities complete with email addresses and web pages. Ads are being run on social media asking for a small donation to whatever made-up cause they invented.

What’s the aim: The aim is for you to donate money to their account. There is no charity.

What to do: If you do want to donate to a charity, do your research. Choose the one that best suits you not one from an ad. Do not click on ads for these organizations, but rather use their official main page.

Travel Scams:

What happens: you would like to fly across the country to your family but the flights are too expensive so when an email with amazing “last minute” deals land up in your mailbox, you click on the link and find ridiculously cheap deals.

What’s the aim: the aim is for you to enter your credit card info and transfer funds into the scammer’s account.

What to do: Unfortunately, the “if it’s too good to be true” rule applies here. If you do see an amazing special, verify it with the airlines. Be suspicious if you are asked for the credit card info first before being allowed to check the final price of the flight

 Final Tips:

• Remember to always look out for terrible grammar and spelling errors in emails and websites.
• Shop with a credit card or PayPal so you are protected.
• Look for return policies/ cancellations/ Data Protection and Privacy Pages. All signs of a legitimate business.
• Make a donation to a charity from a pre-paid credit card or a gift card. You can also use a pre-paid credit card to purchase items from websites that you are not familiar with if you absolutely must have that one item.

Also, check out these PayPal scams!