The Biggest Scams to Avoid This Holiday Season
The holiday season is in full swing, and while it may be a time of good cheer, there’s a lot to worry about when it comes to spending time online. The holiday season is prime time for scammers and criminals, so it’s important to be extra vigilant when you’re shopping for gifts, trying to keep up with family, or simply browsing social media.
Be ready
One of the most important steps you can take to stay safe online is to avoid and prevent scams before they happen. This means you’ll need to set up information security tools, such as a password manager, that can help you protect your passwords with encrypted storage and other security measures.
Preparing with a password manager can also be a great way to check how secure your accounts are by determining if your passwords are truly strong, if you’re using duplicates across multiple websites, or if your account details were included in any recent data breaches . . Password managers also make it easy to update passwords using randomly generated parameters, which can make them even harder for attackers to crack.
There are many great password managers on the market, including several free ones like Google’s built-in password manager , Apple’s iCloud Keychain , and other paid options like 1Password and LastPass . For a complete list of the best , check out PCMag’s collection .
Another great way to protect yourself online is to set up text or push notifications from your bank and credit cards. This will help you stay on top of all your purchases as you make them, allowing you to immediately become aware of any unknown purchases instead of waiting until the end of the month for your statement to arrive. Most banks and credit cards should offer this feature in their apps or in your online account settings.
Beware of scams
Fraud is everywhere. Since many of us spend our lives constantly online and connected, it is also easy for scammers to reach us. Whether you receive scam messages via email or text, it is important to keep a few things in mind when you receive a text or email about a great deal.
First, don’t click on unwanted links that come to you via email or text message. If you receive an email about a deal on a website or store, please go directly to that website through your browser’s navigation bar rather than clicking on a link. Scammers have become very good at hiding your email address and making it look legitimate, so always double check before trusting anything that requires you to click a link.
Be careful with online gift exchanges.
This holiday season will be ripe for gift scams. Scams like this often appear on social media sites like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), asking users to sign up for a gift exchange in which they will send a gift and then receive it from someone else. While this may seem funny and innocent, it is a great way for scammers to get your personal information, including your name and address, as well as your money. In fact, the Better Business Bureau classifies these scams as pyramid schemes , since they rely on recruiters sending money and data in hopes of receiving something in return (which, of course, never happens).
Avoid these types of gift exchanges and only participate in gift exchanges with people you know and trust. If you are unsure whether a gift exchange invitation is legitimate, contact the person who sent it to you via text message or phone call to ensure their accounts have not been compromised.
Batch Fraud
It’s the holiday season, which means a lot of packages are coming in the mail. However, this also opens the door to scammers : These scams come in the form of emails or text messages that often claim that USPS, UPS, or any other package handler has lost your package and that you need to contact the shipping company to complete delivery.
These scams often include a URL that will take you to a phishing site or a phone number that, when you call, will redirect you to a bogus call center designed to steal your information. If you receive a text message or email about a package, even if you are expecting it, always contact the package handler directly using their website and contact number. Never call the number provided in a message or email.
These types of scams are already happening in full force. In the last week alone I have received three similar messages stating that I have lost my package and need to contact USPS to resolve the issue.
Don’t trust Google ads
Even though Google ads and sponsored websites are at the top of search results and are easily visible in Google search results, they should not be trusted. This is because scammers can easily buy and place ads through Google that look legitimate but are actually malicious in nature. Often, fake websites will look convincing, but will charge you extra for the product, or worse, download malicious files and malware onto your computer or device.
Due to how common these malicious ads are, it is best to always ensure that you click on the website itself and never click on Google ads or sponsored posts . While not all Google ads are dangerous, attackers have found ways to bypass Google’s verification processes. It’s just not worth the risk.