Christmas Scams to Avoid
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is also the time of year where scammers make the most money! Unfortunately, people tend to fall for "too good to be true" ads or deals online. They also want to make some extra cash to buy those last few presents and fall victim for "easy" jobs. The Better Business Bureau has released a 12 Scams of Christmas list and we want you to be aware so you don't fall prey to these scammers!
1. Fake Shipping Notifications
This scam targets everyone. We've all shopped online and received a text message or email about our shipping confirmation. However, you may sometimes get these even if you haven't shopped online. You wonder, did I order something and just forget? Before you click on any links, go to any of the websites you may have shopped from and confirm from there. Or simply ignore the text or email because more than likely it's fake.
2. Alerts About Compromised Accounts
Thousands of people fall for these types of scams. Scammers will contact you via phone, email, or text alerting you that your Amazon, PayPal, Netflix, Hulu, bank account, etc. has been compromised and you need to take immediate action by clicking a link. Now, we know your bank, Netflix, or Amazon account WILL contact you via email to alert you to suspicious activity to your account, however, they would NEVER text you. You need to identify some critical signs that will let you know if the email or text message is real or fake:
3. Free Gift Cards
Who doesn't love free things? Scammers take this opportunity to take advantage of people by impersonating a company. For example, if you are a loyal Starbucks or Chick-fil-A customer, you might receive an email from them (AKA a scammer) asking you to click a link to redeem your free Gift Card. What you don't know is that by clicking the link you will install malware on your computer or phone and they will be able to steal your information. It's best to just mark these as a spam or junk and delete the email.
4. Temporary Holiday Jobs
These are some of the best ways scammers make their money during the holidays. We've all needed a little extra cash once in a while, specially when you need to complete your Christmas shopping. These temporary holiday jobs advertise working from home with a great pay, all you need to do is wrap some gifts and deliver them. But, before you do all that, you need to pay to apply for the job. You're thinking, "that's okay, I'll pay this fee, but I'll make double the money when I get hired!" Sorry to tell you this, but you've just been scammed... If you have to pay to apply for a job, that's a red flag! Avoid these types of job offers at all cost!
5. Misleading Social Media Ads
You're scrolling social media and see some ads for a small business having a sale on their items. However, you've never heard of them, but they are having a great deal. You decide to go for it and order a few gifts for you and your family. They take your payment, but weeks go by and you either don't receive your items, the items are damaged, or they're not what you ordered. You try to call them and the number doesn't work. You've been scammed... Before you shop online this Christmas, be sure to do your research and make sure the company you're buying from is real!
Getting scammed is not fun. We worked hard for our money and seeing someone steal it so easily infuriates us. However, you can take some precautionary steps to avoid getting scammed. Always remember: never click on links you deem suspicious, never give important information over the phone unless you are 100% sure you know who you're talking to, and never click on ads on websites. Be on the lookout this holiday season to avoid getting scammed.
1. Fake Shipping Notifications
This scam targets everyone. We've all shopped online and received a text message or email about our shipping confirmation. However, you may sometimes get these even if you haven't shopped online. You wonder, did I order something and just forget? Before you click on any links, go to any of the websites you may have shopped from and confirm from there. Or simply ignore the text or email because more than likely it's fake.
2. Alerts About Compromised Accounts
Thousands of people fall for these types of scams. Scammers will contact you via phone, email, or text alerting you that your Amazon, PayPal, Netflix, Hulu, bank account, etc. has been compromised and you need to take immediate action by clicking a link. Now, we know your bank, Netflix, or Amazon account WILL contact you via email to alert you to suspicious activity to your account, however, they would NEVER text you. You need to identify some critical signs that will let you know if the email or text message is real or fake:
- Check the email address. Does it have a typo? If so, it's a scam email.
- Check for any grammatical errors in the email or text message. These are usually signs that the email or text message is fake.
- If the email or text message has a sense of urgency, it's usually a scam.
3. Free Gift Cards
Who doesn't love free things? Scammers take this opportunity to take advantage of people by impersonating a company. For example, if you are a loyal Starbucks or Chick-fil-A customer, you might receive an email from them (AKA a scammer) asking you to click a link to redeem your free Gift Card. What you don't know is that by clicking the link you will install malware on your computer or phone and they will be able to steal your information. It's best to just mark these as a spam or junk and delete the email.
4. Temporary Holiday Jobs
These are some of the best ways scammers make their money during the holidays. We've all needed a little extra cash once in a while, specially when you need to complete your Christmas shopping. These temporary holiday jobs advertise working from home with a great pay, all you need to do is wrap some gifts and deliver them. But, before you do all that, you need to pay to apply for the job. You're thinking, "that's okay, I'll pay this fee, but I'll make double the money when I get hired!" Sorry to tell you this, but you've just been scammed... If you have to pay to apply for a job, that's a red flag! Avoid these types of job offers at all cost!
5. Misleading Social Media Ads
You're scrolling social media and see some ads for a small business having a sale on their items. However, you've never heard of them, but they are having a great deal. You decide to go for it and order a few gifts for you and your family. They take your payment, but weeks go by and you either don't receive your items, the items are damaged, or they're not what you ordered. You try to call them and the number doesn't work. You've been scammed... Before you shop online this Christmas, be sure to do your research and make sure the company you're buying from is real!
Getting scammed is not fun. We worked hard for our money and seeing someone steal it so easily infuriates us. However, you can take some precautionary steps to avoid getting scammed. Always remember: never click on links you deem suspicious, never give important information over the phone unless you are 100% sure you know who you're talking to, and never click on ads on websites. Be on the lookout this holiday season to avoid getting scammed.
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