Fraudsters come in all shapes and sizes, and there truly is nowhere safe, but should you enable some intuition, you may make it through the holiday season unscathed.
Social Media
Some quizzes ask questions that are similar to security questions when setting up an account, such as where you were born, the name of the street you lived on, your favorite pet, and more. When you answer these questions on the quizzes, you could be giving scammers the answers to hack your accounts.
The same questions and answers are seen on those chain posts of ‘getting to know your friends’, which is widely accessible on Facebook in particular. By answering those questions about what you like to eat, where are you from, what is your middle name, how old are you, and so forth, you are unknowingly giving all the information about YOU out to possible thieves that could, in turn, take your identity.
Additionally, some posts mean well, but prompt people to comment or post information. For example, the following post is likely intended to be a fun holiday game. Still, scammers can use the information you provide, combined with the information on your profile, to scam you.
Police departments across the country are warning residents about these posts and quizzes. Authorities say to avoid commenting on these types of posts and make sure to adjust your privacy settings on Facebook when posting personal information.
If you think your personal information or identity has been stolen, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s
Cyberattacks
Beware of emails that want you to click on a link.
“We are seeing more and more fake emails [allegedly] coming from the likes of FedEx or UPS or the U.S. Postal Service,” said AARP’s Stokes.
The same goes for fake emails that purport to be from retailers. They may report a problem with an order or attempted delivery, but it’s really an attempt from cybercriminals to install malware on your computer.
Don’t click on any links. Instead, go directly to the website for the delivery service or retailer and look up your order or delivery using your confirmation or tracking number.
Other things to look for are whether the email is addressed “Dear customer” and not directly to you. If it is, that’s a sign it’s a scam. Also, check that any website you visit is secure by ensuring that its URL starts with an “https” rather than an “http.”
In the end, it’s all about being vigilant, and if you are ready to use your credit card, ensure that the website you are using is safeguarded with the paddock in place at the top of your browser.
What to do
If you think you have fallen victim to a scam or potential scammer, your best port of call is to report the incident to your local police department.
If it is an online website or social media platform, ensure you take a screenshot of your purchase, or a screenshot of the scam, that way you can give all the information to an officer if needed.
Emails can be easily corrupted, and in the holiday season, you are huggling the tracking email of purchases, bills, and Christmas emails, amongst others. If you are unsure of an email and its intention, you can quickly delete it from your box to stop any unwanted hackers.
Most importantly, though, there are plenty of websites and video tutorials that can help you understand, learn, and better protect yourself from potential scammers.
