As holiday shoppers ramp up their spending, scammers are equally busy trying to take advantage of them. Whether shopping online or in person, there are several scams to watch out for this holiday season.
Online fraudsters try to get you to give up money such posing as a donation center or charity, convincing you to buy bogus gift cards, or even revealing sensitive personal information. Scammers create social media ads intended to take you to fake stores, promote fake charities, and offer hard-to-find deals, all in an attempt to steal your personal information and money.
Shopping in person comes with a new set of risks as well as credit card skimmers and shimmers account for a large majority of these frauds. Criminals set up these devices on top or inside of credit card readers to copy the card’s details. These criminals then sell that information online or create duplicate cards for others to use.
Be sure to consistently monitor your credit card activity for suspicious charges, use a tap-to-pay or mobile wallet to avoid credit card skimmers, and avoid public Wi-Fi.
Never respond to unsolicited emails or texts using provided numbers or links. If your identity is stolen, file a report and then report the fraud. If a credit card is being fraudulently used, contact your credit card company immediately.
This holiday season, trust your instincts and remember, if the deal seams too good to be true, it probably is.
