Holiday Shopping Scams to Avoid this Season
The holidays are a time of happiness, but they're also when scammers target innocent shoppers. According to a 2022 study, more than 60% of people do their shopping online, so it's vital to know about the scams that exist and how you can protect yourself from them.
Follow the tips in this article to learn about typical holiday scams, how cybercriminals exploit them, and what you can do to protect yourself while shopping online. By taking these necessary safety measures, you can have a safe cyber shopping experience this holiday season.
Be on the lookout for these types of scams this season
The holidays are a prime time for scammers, who often target people with phishing scams, online shopping scams, and gift card scams.
Phishing attacks come in many forms, but they all have one goal: to steal your sensitive personal information. These attacks often masquerade as emails or websites from trusted companies or individuals, so it's important to be vigilant. If you're ever unsure about an email's legitimacy, don't click on any links. Go directly to the company's website instead. You can also hover over links to see their destination before clicking on them.
Being scammed out of your hard-earned money is the last thing you want during the holiday season, or anytime. Unfortunately, gift card scams are becoming more and more common. So how can you protect yourself? Only buy cards from reputable stores, and always keep the receipt in case there are any issues. Scammers will often use stolen credit card information to buy these cards so that they can then turn around and purchase other items with them. In other cases, they may even sell counterfeit cards.
Don't get scammed when shopping online! These schemes include phony websites that offer fake or damaged merchandise while pretending to be real stores. They can have tell-tale signs such as typos, bad grammar, or a domain name that's different from the original store. If you're unsure about a website's legitimacy, do some research before making any online purchases.
During the holiday season, how do cybercriminals take advantage of unsuspecting shoppers?
Cybercriminals are more active during the holiday season as busy people are generally more generous. Be especially careful about online purchases and clicks, and always verify requests for donations before taking any action. Also, make sure you do your research before donating to campaigns on sites such as Gofundme or Kickstarter.
Here are some tips to help you avoid scams this holiday season.
There are several things you can do to avoid these scams during the holiday season:
1. Examine any online deals before purchasing to ensure they are not scams. If an offer is too good to be true, it more than likely is a scam. With that being said, there are still exceptional offers available, but you may have to be vigilant in order to spot them!
2. You can protect your identity and finances by never sharing personal information or credit card details with an untrusted source. Even if you were the one who reached out first, it still pays to be cautious.
3. One of the best ways to avoid having your credit card information stolen by scammers is by checking the security features of websites before entering your credit card number. You can do this quickly and easily by looking for an https:// prefix in the web address and a closed padlock symbol in the browser window.
4. No matter what site you are on, personal or professional, always create a difficult password or passphrase that would be hard to guess. If you use a password manager, make sure it is just as secure.
5. Double-check that you're on a genuine website by looking for seals or certificates of approval, and read reviews carefully before making any online purchase. You should always do your research prior to buying anything online.
6. Upgrading your computer software and installing anti-virus tools will help protect you against malware attacks by scammers.
7. A common concern with online shopping is fraud, but you can better protect yourself by using a credit card over a debit card.
How you can report a scam while shopping online
Even though it can be tough to report a scammer when shopping online since you might not know who to contact or where to get help, there are still some steps you can take. By gathering the scammer's information and taking action, you might be able to report them successfully.
One option is to reach out to the scammer's email provider or web hosting company. Many scam emails will come from free email providers like Gmail or Yahoo, so reporting the scammer to these companies can help shut down their accounts. Additionally, many scam websites are hosted on free web hosting services like WordPress or Blogger, so reporting these websites to their hosting company can also shut them down.
Another possibility is for people to contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The government provides funding for its services, which include assisting consumers with complaints and disputes. In addition, they can equip people with more resources on how to report scams.
Lastly, you have the option to contact local law enforcement. There are many scams that don't include financial transactions or personal information, so if you aren't sure whether or not you should report it, reach out to the police department. If it is a financial scam, talking with them may be helpful.
Don't let scammers ruin your holidays! Follow these simple steps to keep yourself, your family, and your finances safe when shopping online. If you have any questions about cybersecurity this holiday season, please contact us. From all of us here at Kotman Technology, have a happy and safe holiday season!
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