With all the chaos during the holiday season, it’s the perfect time for scammers to try to get your sensitive information. According to the FBI, over 850,000 complaints of cybersecurity fraud were submitted in 2024, with losses of $16.6 billion.
Common scams
Watch for these common scams so you can protect yourself and your family.
- Package delivery — During this busy season, a shipping notification email or text message is sure to grab your attention. Be wary of scammers who send an email or text message that asks you to click a link or call a number. Clicking the link could infect your phone or computer with malware that allows scammers to access sensitive information. Over the phone, scammers may ask for your credit card information to pay for additional delivery or customs fees.
- Gift cards — Scammers expect you to be so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season that you don’t question this scam. They will call or send you a phony text message or email pretending to be a person you know. Then, they will ask you to buy multiple gift cards on their behalf and give them the numbers on the cards.
- Social media — Receiving a gift card in exchange for completing an online survey sounds nice in theory, but it may be just another trick to capture your sensitive information. These promotions are often on social media sites and can be extremely enticing.
- Shopping — It’s all about the deals this time of year, and most of the time, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers try to send you to fake websites and mobile apps that offer luxury goods, electronics or trendy clothing at deeply discounted prices. This scam relies on you buying the merchandise so scammers can take your credit card information and more.
- Charity — During the holidays, scammers know that people are more generous, so they pose as a reputable organization to capitalize on your goodwill. Scammers tell you they are from fake organizations or phony toy drive campaigns to steal your sensitive information.
Best practices
- Stay updated — Software updates help protect against unknown threats and keep your device current.
- Password protection — Using strong, unique passwords and 2-factor authentication helps prevent scammers from accessing your accounts. A trusted password manager can also generate, save and fill in strong passwords for you. Apple and Google Chrome offer secure password management services that will alert you if a password appears in a known data breach.
- Be cautious — Never click links or download attachments in messages you aren’t expecting. If you’re questioning the authenticity of a message, don’t call the number provided in the email. Instead, use a search engine to look up the company’s website to verify their contact information.
- Red flags — Legitimate businesses won’t ask for your sensitive information in text messages or emails. Asking for personal information is a big red flag. Stay alert and report emails that ask you to provide information.
- Website warning signs — Shop with confidence online by checking the website’s encryption. Look for “https” in the URL in the location bar. When shopping online, if you question the legitimacy of a website, check the Better Business Bureau website. It offers tools to search for accredited businesses and lets you see reviews and complaints.
- Credit or debit card — Consider shopping online with a credit card instead of your debit card. The law limits consumers’ liability for fraudulent credit card charges. Check your accounts frequently to ensure there are no unauthorized charges.
With these best practices in mind, you can help keep yourself and your family safe from scammers this holiday season.
