Bank Safe: Holiday Scams

The holiday season is a time for gratitude, giving thanks, family, and cherished traditions. Unfortunately, it’s also peak time for online scams and fraud. The good news is that the overwhelming majority of these cyberattacks can be avoided––all it takes is a little diligence!

You’ve probably seen the more obvious phishing scams in your inbox, or perhaps via text message. These often contain typos, bizarre email addresses, and/or not-at-all-subtle calls to action (i.e., invitations to follow a link). However, there are countless other, far less conspicuous––but equally detrimental––forms of holiday scams and fraud:

• Package Delivery Confirmation: Scammers will try to persuade you to share personal information to “confirm” your purchase or pay an additional delivery charge.
• Gift Cards: Many holiday scams involve the sale of fraudulent gift cards or attempts to trick you into sharing the numbers on the back of the card.
• Fake Charities: Cybercriminals exploit consumers’ generosity through fraudulent charities during the holidays.
• Online Lookalike Stores: Scammers create websites similar to genuine ones to steal your account information.

Protect yourself from holiday scams this season with these rules of thumb:

• Do Your Research. Make sure the website is legitimate. Even if you believe you’re familiar with the site, double-check its URL––cybercriminals often “spoof” known websites by changing a single letter of the URL.
• Use a Credit Card. This will provide far more protection than using a debit card. NEVER wire money directly to an online merchant. And, if a merchant asks you to pay with a gift card, walk away.
• Double-Check Before You Donate. Charitable giving is a wonderful part of the holiday season. Don’t let your dollars fall victim to fake causes.
• Use Good Sense. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Enjoy a stress-free holiday season!