Cornerstone Group © 2023 BAKE COOKIES DAY IS DECEMBER 18 Look through your recipe box, stop by the grocery store, and gather your cookie cutters. December 18 is Bake Cookies Day—perfectly timed for the holidays. Many people have kept busy so far this season with shopping trips, gift wrapping, decorating, and Christmas cards. So, Bake Cookies Day is a great excuse to shift gears and focus on the fun of baking. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family and friends in the kitchen, share plates of cookies with neighbors, or mail some goodies to loved ones in other places. If you’re looking for some new Christmas cookie recipes, check out the delicious assortment at foodnetwork.com, which not only features cookies, but festive bars and barks as well. Who knows? You may even be treated to a cookie the next time you visit the Colo Telephone Company and CIB office. We all know the mean and green character of the Grinch created by Dr. Seuss, who stole everything—down to the last crumb—from the homes in Whoville on Christmas Eve. Today’s holiday scammers have similarly cold-hearted goals, but they have a broader array of tricks up their sleeve to do the stealing. Scammers know that people are busy and focused on merriment during the holiday season, so they take advantage of the situation to deploy scams including these: Social media ads leading to fake online stores – If you buy from one of these stores, scammers can use the personal information you provide to access and drain your bank account, run up debts in your name, or commit other fraudulent activities. Phony “missed delivery” notifications – You may receive a text or email asking you to click on a link to supposedly get an update about the delivery date, track the package location, give your payment preferences, provide delivery instructions, or pay a shipping fee. Or you may find a note on your door claiming to have a package for you that couldn’t be delivered and containing a phone number to call to reschedule the delivery. If you call the number, you’ll be greeted with questions related to your personal identity that can later be used to commit fraud. Unbelievable deals on popular items – These schemes feature holiday gifts that many people have on their shopping lists. The scammers offer deals that seem too good to be true (and are too good to be true) to encourage you to order quickly. If you do, you’ll likely pay for the item but never receive it. Plus, your payment information will be in the wrong hands. Impersonations of well-known brands – In order to steal your personal information for identity theft purposes, scammers claim to be from companies you know, such as Amazon or Walmart, in their emails, texts, or phone calls. Fraudulent charities that steal your money – Scammers create fake charities or GoFundMe campaigns during the season of giving to trick you into sending money or sharing your personal information. Now that you know what these scams look like, we hope you avoid them and retain your Christmas spirit all season long! LIKE THE GRINCH, SCAMMERS TRY TO STEAL CHRISTMAS
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