As the festive season approaches, be cautious of scams targeting shopping, travel, and gift exchanges. Stay vigilant against fraud to minimize stress during this bustling time of the year.

Check out our essential advice to spot 5 holiday scams and protect yourself.

Holiday Season Online Shopping Scam

Fake Charity Scam

Beware of holiday scammers exploiting generosity through fake charities or false pleas for help. According to Cyberghost, scammers create heartening stories of charity to persuade you. Avoid immediate donations, cash, gift cards, or wire transfers. Verify organizations online with keywords like "complaint," "review," or "scam." Check registration with the state charity regulator, and consult Charity Navigator or CharityWatch for charity reports and ratings.

How to spot charity scams:

  • Rushing you to donate. A valid charity appreciates contributions at your convenience.
  • Expressing gratitude for an unfamiliar donation. It aims to deceive, a tactic often employed by unethical fundraisers.
  • Asking for donations via cash, gift card, or wire transfer. Scammers prefer these untraceable methods for easy access to funds.

Holiday Season Online Shopping Scam:

Beware of holiday scams featuring fake online shops mimicking legitimate ones, targeting personal and financial data. Scammers lure you with low prices and exclusive deals through phishing emails or texts with deceptive links.

How to spot the online shopping scam:

  • There is a mismatch between the website address and the store or brand name.
  • The website design is subpar, with spelling and grammar mistakes.
  • Absence of secure https or a padlock icon in the address bar.
  • Excessive requests for personal information like your social security number or bank details.
  • Lack of a transparent return policy, contact details, or customer reviews.

Travel and Deceptive Airfare Scams:

In the holiday travel rush, approximately 111 million Americans plan December trips. Great deals may conceal unexpected fees, and fake flight cancellations can trick you into revealing credit card details. Stay vigilant.

How to spot the travel scam:

  • Exclusive tickets available with significant markdowns
  • Confirmation emails sans ticket attachments
  • Bogus helpline numbers in Google search results
  • Payment appeals in gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrencies
  • Automated calls, emails, or messages tempting with "Complimentary getaways"
  • Emails asserting flight cancellation, demanding payment
  • Intense strategies like insisting only one flight remains
  • Post-booking calls seeking more details or funds

Package Delivery Scam:

During high-volume online shopping periods, such as Christmas, beware of deceptive texts or emails claiming to be from delivery services. These messages may falsely report package delays or demand a small payment for delivery. Distinguishing them from genuine notifications can be challenging. Scammers aim to extract your card details on fraudulent websites or manipulate you into installing spyware through links or apps. In more advanced schemes, scammers may follow up, urging you to transfer money for alleged safety reasons. If suspicious, avoid opening any links in such messages.

How to spot package delivery scams:

Random Number Alert: Beware of scam texts from mobile numbers, not official sources.

Time Pressure Tactics: Scams push for quick actions. If a message urges speedy personal detail sharing, be cautious.

Package Scam Red Flags: Delivery scams lack specifics on origin or contents. Exercise caution with vague parcel information.

Grammar & Spelling Hints: Spot scams through typos, broken English, or odd punctuation.

Gift Card Scam:

Famous for their convenience, gift cards are equally favored by scammers for fraud. The Federal Trade Commission notes that gift cards have consistently been the top-reported payment method for fraud since 2018. Approximately one in four victims of fraud paid scammers with gift cards. Typically, scams involve buying gift cards for a purchase and sharing the card identification number with fraudsters, who then redeem the card's value.

Legitimate entities won't ask for payment in gift cards, so beware of such requests to avoid scams.

How to spot the gift card scam:

Beware of gift card scams initiated through calls, texts, emails, or social media messages, targeting cards like Google Play, Apple, or Amazon. Scammers employ urgency, claiming dire consequences unless you swiftly purchase and share card details.

  1. Fraudsters will emphasize the need for immediate action. Beware of urgent calls demanding immediate payment to avert a disaster—these scammers aim to catch you off guard. Resist the pressure, take your time, and refrain from paying; it's a scam.
  1. Con artists will specify the type of gift card to purchase and provide store instructions. They may instruct you to deposit funds on eBay, Google Play, Target, or Apple gift cards from specific stores like Walmart, Target, CVS, or Walgreens. Don't fall for it—hang up if they guide you through the process.
  2. Scammers will request both the gift card number and its corresponding PIN from you. Guard your card details; revealing the number and PIN allows scammers to access loaded funds. Stay vigilant and avoid sharing such information—it's a scam.