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westreet españolTis the season to be jolly! And for the grinch-spirited scammers to target holiday shoppers. Protect yourself by learning the most common holiday scams taking place this time of year and practicing caution when you go shopping this season.
Always popular, phishing scams become even more prevalent right before the holidays. They can be bogus delivery confirmation requests seeking your information or even a personalized letter to your child from “Santa.”
Be extra careful during the holiday season when opening emails from senders you don’t know. If the something you receive seems like an attempt to impersonate a business, contact the business directly to verify before taking any action.
Sadly, many scammers will capitalize on the goodwill that this time of year brings out by asking you to make a donation to a charity that does not actually exist.
Verify the authenticity of any charity you’d like to make a contribution to by checking it out on a website like CharityNavigator. Also, it’s best to contact a charity on your own instead of following a website or email link.
It’s holiday time, and those UPS and FedEx trucks are everywhere, dropping off boxes of goodies all over the neighborhood.
Usually, these drop-offs go as planned. Unfortunately, some 23 million customers will have their packages stolen from their doorsteps this year.
If possible, and especially when ordering something expensive, arrange for a delivery that requires your signature upon receipt. Otherwise, track your order and know when it is supposed to arrive so you can bring it inside as quickly as possible.
When sending a gift to someone else via Amazon, consider sending it to an Amazon Locker location instead of the recipient’s household. There’s no fee for using this service, and your gift is safe this way.
You might get lucky and find that perfect gift at a super-low price, but don’t believe any ads or websites that are practically giving away the good stuff for free. These are, quite likely, scams.
Once you click an ad link and place an order on a bogus site, you’ll never hear from the site again. Worse yet, they may use the information you shared to empty your accounts.
Remember to check the website address/URL before placing an order. It may look strikingly similar to a popular site, but if one letter is off or completely missing, the site is bogus, and you must close out the window.
The best way to know if you are shopping on reputable sites is to look for the closed lock followed by “https//.” The important “s” after the “http” in the URL web address verifies a site’s connection from the website to the server to your browser is secure. Make sure that the site’s URL is spelled correctly as well.
Also be suspicious of any website that asks for payment through a person-to-person payment app like Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App. Never transfer money to a seller for an online purchase via wire transfer either.
Did you really just see a Facebook post offering you a new iPhone completely free of charge? If you have, you’re looking at a scam designed to lure you into sharing your information with criminals or unwittingly installing malware on your device.
Fake freebies appear in all kinds of forms, from new phones, complimentary cruises, and various luxury gift items to “free” holiday-themed downloads, like music, wallpapers, and games.
If you’re offered any outrageous free gifts by text message, email, or social media post, ignore them. Downloads may be safe, but they need to be carefully vetted for authenticity before you accept them.
Many scammers sell expired or empty gift cards this time of year, hoping to make a profit on a card that isn’t worth more than the plastic used to make it.
Ask to inspect any gift card you purchase before you finalize the sale. Check to see if the activation code is exposed. If it is, the scammer has probably already used the card or has copied the information and will use it soon.
Many businesses hire extra hands to get them through the busy holiday season. Don’t get stuck working for criminals!
Many scammers will impersonate employees of recognized businesses and post help-wanted ads on social media platforms and popular websites.
When job seekers follow the links in these ads, they are directed to a bogus site that looks just like the site of the company the scammer claims to represent. They’ll be asked to share personal information to submit an application. The scammer will then make off with this information, and the promised job will never materialize.
If you’re looking for a seasonal job, apply directly on a business’s website. Do not follow any links.
With so many people going home for the holidays, vacation rental home scams are rampant. This scam works by luring you into putting down a deposit for a vacation rental home for a property that either isn’t owned by the scammer or doesn’t exist.
Once you put down the deposit to secure your vacation rental, the scammer becomes unresponsive, and you’ll lose the money you paid for the deposit.
Keep an eye out for any vacation rental that seems to be bookable for way cheaper than other rentals in the area as this is a red flag. If the person offering their home as a rental requests payment through a method other than the official platform, it is most likely a scam. It is also a red flag if you ask to see the home through a video chat or additional photos of the home, and the owner won’t provide them.
Scammers famously exploit high-stress times, and the pre-holiday shopping frenzy is no exception. That’s why the BBB warns of an uptick in holiday toy scams which can be difficult to spot.
Here’s what you need to know about these scams.
How the Scam Plays Out
Every year, there are a few must-have toys on most kids’ wish lists. These choice picks become the hottest-selling items and are plucked off shelves in a wink. Unfortunately, these toys soon become impossible to find for anyone who didn’t shop early enough, leaving parents desperately searching, to no avail.
Here’s where the scammer steps in. Armed with a bogus website and some crafty online tracking, the scammer targets the vulnerable shopper with ads and online messages to draw the shopper to the bogus website. On the authentic-looking site, the shopper finally finds what they have been looking for — the sought-after toy! Often, the toy is also deeply discounted. The purchase is complete within minutes.
Unfortunately, the scammer will send a cheap knockoff that doesn’t work or quickly breaks. When contacted for a refund, the scammer refuses to provide one or offers only to refund a small percentage of the purchase price. Sometimes, they’ll also charge an exorbitant amount for shipping it back to the company, making the small refund not worthwhile.
Red Flags in Toy Scams
Here’s how to spot these scams:
Stay Safe from Toy Scams
Keep yourself safe when shopping online with these tips:
Follow these tips to keep your shopping free of scams:
As always, be aware and cautious when enjoying the holiday season. Don’t get grinched! Stay alert and use caution to keep your money — and your information — safe.
This article is for educational purposes only. WeStreet makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or specific suitability of any information presented. Information provided should not be relied on or interpreted as legal, tax or financial advice. Nor does the information directly relate to our products and/or services terms and conditions.
