How to Avoid Common Holiday Scams
Cornerstone Group © 2013
Be a Safe and Savvy
Online Shopper
Online shopping is clearly convenient.
You can shop round the clock from
anywhere with an Internet connection.
Just remember to follow these tips to
reduce your risk of fraudulent charges
and identity theft:
• Use a credit card rather than a debit
card to make it easier to avoid losses
from fraud. When your debit card
is used fraudulently, the money is
missing from your account instantly.
By contrast, when your credit card
is used fraudulently, you aren’t out
any money. Just notify your credit
card company of the fraud and you
won’t have to pay for the transactions
you didn’t make while the credit
card company resolves the matter.
• Regularly review your credit card
statements to quickly identify any
unauthorized charges.
• Provide your payment information
only to known and respected
online retailers.
• Do your online shopping at home,
not at a less secure public place
such as a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi.
• Use robust online passwords and
never share them with others.
Like an item online but don’t like the
price? You might receive an offer for
a discount if you go through all the
purchasing steps (including entering
your credit card number), but don’t
finalize the sale. Many retailers will use
discounts or other deals to lure you
back to an abandoned shopping cart.
Your holiday season can quickly take a distinctly unfestive turn if you become a
victim of fraud. Many scammers use holiday activities like shopping and traveling
to make an unscrupulous buck. Fortunately, the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
has some advice for avoiding common holiday scams:
Be Wary of Websites
You need to be suspicious of websites offering popular items at prices that are too good
to be true. Look for the BBB seal when shopping online and click it to confirm authen-
ticity. When purchasing items on auction sites, research the seller extensively and listen
to your gut if the deal doesn’t seem legit.
Check Out Charitable Donations
Holiday giving creates an opportunity for scammers to solicit donations to line their own
pockets. Always research a charity before making a donation, and be wary of supposed
organization representatives who try to pressure you or refuse to answer questions about
the cause.
Travel Carefully
A scammer may call you in your hotel room late at night and ask for your credit card
number for various legitimate-sounding purposes. Hotel professionals would never call
you in the middle of the night, nor would they ask for sensitive information over the
phone. If you get a request like this, go to the hotel lobby desk to find out if it’s for real.
Pay Close Attention to Delivery-related Email
Common phishing emails around the holidays include e-cards and messages pretending
to be from companies like UPS or FedEx with links to package tracking information.
Don’t click on any links or open any attachments to emails coming from a questionable
source (typos and grammatical mistakes are red flags). Also, make sure your computer
has all current antivirus software and security patches installed.
If you need help keeping your computer secure, call Wheat State Telephone
at 800-442-6835 and ask about our automatic SecureIT Plus service.
