Don’t Get Scammed during the Winter Holidays
By TOI Desk Report
December 24, 2023
Update on : December 24, 2023
Scammers tend to ramp up their schemes around this time of year. The holidays make people easier targets because they are distracted with all of their busy plans and they’re desperate to purchase gifts for their loved ones before the end of the year. Don’t let yourself become a target.
Check the Gift Cards
Around the holidays, there is an increase of gift card scams. What’s a gift card scam? Basically, you spend your money on a gift card, give it to someone and when they try to use it later on, the card doesn’t work. You wasted your money, and they ended up with an empty gift card.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers should avoid purchasing gift cards from online auction sites or marketplaces. Get them directly from the retailers, whether that means a digital gift card from the retailer’s official website or a physical card from the storefront.
When you buy a gift card from the store, check to see whether there has been any sign that it’s been tampered with (for example, the sticker covering the card’s PIN code has been peeled off). This tampering could mean that it’s already been used and has no monetary value anymore. And remember to keep the receipt as proof of the card’s value.
Beware of Fake Delivery Messages
Scammers know that there’s a very good chance that you’re waiting to have items shipped to your address before Christmas, so they will try to trick you into revealing personal information by pretending to be a delivery company. They will send you a text message, email or voicemail to say that there is something wrong with your delivery and that you need to confirm your address or pay extra shipping fees to receive the package.
A delivery company would not refer to your shipment in such vague terms. They would refer to the order number you received once you purchased the item. If the message doesn’t list an order number, it is likely a scam. If it does list an order number, confirm whether it matches any on your receipts—if not, ignore the message.
What if the order number is the same? You still shouldn’t answer the message. Instead, go to the company’s official website and look up its listed customer service number. Call the number and talk to a representative about the message you received. If the message is genuine, the company will have a record of it. It’s very likely that the representative will tell you the message is fake.
Look for Warning Signs on Websites
You don’t want to put your banking information into a fraudulent website. How can you tell that a website is fraudulent? There are clues that can reveal that a website is potentially fraudulent.
For instance, you should know about these 7 warning signs when it comes to online loan scams so that you don’t fall for a scheme. When you’re applying for an online loan to handle an emergency expense, the last thing you’ll want to deal with is a fraudulent provider. That will make your emergency so much worse. So, check for these warning signs before you assume that a provider is safe and legitimate.
You’ll want to look for warning signs with online retailers when you’re shopping for Christmas presents, too. Here are several warning symbols to look out for –
- The website URL begins with “http” instead of “https”. The ‘s’ means that sensitive information is encrypted for security purposes. The URL should also have a small symbol of a lock in front of it.
- The retailer has bad reviews of people complaining about their purchases (for example, not receiving what they purchased).
- The photos of items appear to be photoshopped (for example, clothing items look photoshopped onto the models).
Watch Out for Emails about Extreme Deals
Have you received an email about an online store that is offering incredible deals? It sounds too good to be true! Well, you should trust that instinct. It probably is too good to be true, and you should ignore that email, particularly when it came from a retailer that you don’t usually receive online newsletters for. This is likely a phishing scam that is trying to lure you to a fraudulent website where you can insert your credit card information.
Nothing will ruin your holiday spirit like becoming the victim of a scam. Follow these tips to keep your personal information and your bank accounts safe this season.
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