'Tis the Season to be...Scammed?
It’s that time of year. The holidays are impending and you are getting your shop on, anticipating a wonderful season of giving. That is, until you find yourself in the middle of a scam. The holiday season is ripe for scammers every year; below are a few examples of common scams as well as what you can do to avoid being a victim!
There are several seasonal scams we like to remind members of during this time of the year. Being informed, staying aware, and remaining vigilant could be the difference when it comes to spending your holiday money on gifts, rather than your money falling into the hands of a Scrooge.
Phishing Emails or Texts
Most of these scams are phishing scams, meaning it’s a message that is made to look legit but has a hook or implies urgency that makes you take action.
Though phishing scams happen all year round, during the holiday season they may be tailored with holiday-related verbiage. Be extra careful when it comes to clicking any sort of link, opening an attachment, or sharing your personal or financial information.
Package Tracking or Order Confirmation Scams
Do any of us go a week or more without having a delivery coming anymore? Especially during the holidays? Scammers know the answer to that question and have refined one of their most used tactics in the form of package tracking or delivery notification.
These messages look like they’re from a legitimate mail or package courier, such as the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, Amazon, etc. and include a fake tracking link. Most of the time these are just the vehicle for these fraudsters to hack into your device with malware if you click the link. Malware is software designed to gain unauthorized access, to your phone or computer. The malware will then start stealing your information.
If a package delivery scam takes the form of a voicemail message, it may prompt you to call a number back about your delivery. If you call the number back (which we advise you not to) these scammers may request money in return to deliver a package, such as a customs fee or tax.
Remember the best practice to track delivery for holiday packages is to go directly to your online shopping account; they generally provide shipment updates and tracking numbers to the legitimate carrier website. Also, never pay someone money for the delivery of your package— you’ve already paid when you made your purchase!
Account Issue Scams
Account problems are the bane of everyone’s existence, especially when you’re trying to get that last holiday gift ordered. That’s why scammers target consumers with the threat that their account(s) has been deactivated, or that there is some kind of issue with their account. These messages often include a link to “fix the problem”.
Most consumers don’t think before they click, they are too worried about making sure there isn’t an issue or that it is rectified right away.
But again, as soon as you click the link, your device will likely be compromised. Never click these links, it’s best to always go directly to your account to ensure all is well.
Spoofed Shopping Sites
Scammers know that seasonal shopping means looking for big bargains. To prey on consumers’ needs, fraudsters may set up fake websites and social media posts that imitate major brands to get you to click on their ad or website. These “spoofed” sites, entice you to spend money on products you’ll never receive.
Additionally, this is a common way for them to harvest your credit or debit card numbers and any other personal information you input (such as your name, address, phone number, email, or password, etc). They do this so they can continue to use your information to commit identity theft or sell on the dark web.
Gift Card Scams
If someone is asking to pay for something by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the numbers on the back of the card, or mailing it to them – this is an immediate red flag.
No real business or government agency will ever insist you pay them with a gift card. Anyone who demands to be paid with a gift card is a scammer, plain and simple.
Charity Scams
If you’re in the spirit of giving this holiday season, double-check that you’re giving to a real charity, and a good cause, not a scammer! Scammers know that charities reach out during this time of year for support, which means every year they try to trick people into giving to them, instead.
Here are a few tips which deciding who to give to:
Check out the charity before you donate. Search online with the name of the charity plus words like “complaint,” “review,” or “scam.”
Double-check the name. Scammers sometimes use names that sound like real charities that you know and trust.
Don’t be rushed. Scammers love to prey on pressure and to act fast. A real charity won’t pressure you.
Avoid donations by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, or money transfer service — That’s how scammers ask to be paid.
Too Good To Be True Discounts
It’s common thinking that if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. Listen to your gut; if something doesn’t feel right when you see a deal or discount on a website, it’s likely to be a scammer phishing attempt.
Romance Scams
Don’t let the blues of being alone that can come with the holiday season get your guard down. Scammers know that the holidays bring searches for love to the forefront and they prey on those who are looking for companionship.
We see a lot of these scams happening on social media and online dating websites. Scammers will play the long game in this scam, developing a relationship of conversation back and forth, but at some point, the conversation always turns to money. They’re down on their luck, they have a sick relative, and they need money to come to visit/meet you. Don’t fall for it. We’ve seen members get scammed out of thousands of dollars, never to be seen again, and the person they think is on the other end, is actually a scammer, portrayed as a caring person.
Red Flags to watch for:
Spelling errors or odd language and bad grammar
Urgency in the message
Huge discounts (especially on social media or unfamiliar websites)
Being asked to send gift cards or cryptocurrency
General Best Practices
To help avoid scams, we have put together a general list of best practices:
Remember, scammers may circulate malware-loaded messages in the form of links or attachments and fake websites. ALWAYS go directly to your account through the legitimate website or app to check on account issues, confirmation of orders, and tracking numbers.
Take the time to display the true destination URL when you receive suspicious correspondence, you likely will be able to recognize a real URL versus a fake.
Be wary of giving out too much personal or financial information to anyone you don’t know.
Pay by credit card. That way you can dispute charges and limit the damage if it turns out you were scammed. NEVER via gift card or cryptocurrency.
Research! From charities, to travel, and more—always do your due diligence. Search for names of people and/or companies that you want to work with and include terms like “scam,” “complaints” or “reviews,” and see what others are saying.
Don’t assume a website is safe because it shows signs of encryption, like a padlock icon or “https://” in front of the URL. Many scam sites now use this technology, knowing that fraud-savvy consumers look for it.
Don’t make a purchase, donate to a charity or conduct other financial business online while using a public Wi-Fi network. It might not be secure.
Remember if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If you ever feel as though you are being scammed or that your accounts with the credit union are in danger, never hesitate to call us! We can help you identify whether or not what you are experiencing is real or fake and assist with keeping your information safe!