Posted by BBB Warns Consumers to Be Wary of These
While the holidays should be merry and bright, it seems scams are inevitable. Every year there are scrooges lurking in the shopping space or cyberspace to take advantage of your Christmas spirit.
The Better Business Bureau warns consumers to watch out for the following scams this season, so you can avoid encounters with the bad Santas. These twelve were reported by News4JAX:
- Beware misleading social media ads that are purportedly for charities, but in reality are not.
- While social media gift exchanges sound like harmless Christmas fun, it’s an old scam with some new twists. Especially take note if wine bottles are offered in the exchange.
- Think twice about downloading holiday apps, and be particularly wary of free ones. Malware and phishing attempts abound.
- Don’t trust alerts about your accounts being compromised. These occur frequently with regard to Amazon, PayPal, Netflix, or your bank account, and not just at Christmas. If you share personal information, then your accounts truly will be compromised.
- While we love to use and give free gift cards, scammers are highly skilled at impersonating vendors like Starbucks and proclaiming your free gift. The BBB warns not to even open these emails. But if you accidentally do, definitely refrain from clicking on any of the links. Unfortunately, scams like these make it difficult for legitimate companies to share those perks with deserving customers.
- Scammers are becoming adept at creating look-alike websites. These fraudsters send emails to get you to visit their website, where you will inadvertently download malware.
- Fake charities are especially egregious, taking advantage of people’s generous spirit and desire to give during the holidays. Nearly 40% of all charitable donations occur this time of year. Do your research to be certain your gift is headed to a legitimate recipient.
To beware of puppy scams, fake shipping notifications and more, see the full list of warnings and how to protect yourself here.