It’s the most special time of year! Christmas is here and scammers are waiting to capitalize on the increase in shopping that takes place during the holidays by laying clever traps. That’s why we’re bringing you a guide to make sure that your money goes towards gifts for people that you love rather than padding scammer’s pockets.<\/p>\n
Scammers send out phishing emails<\/a> that claim that your favorite online store is having a discount, their account information needs to be changed, or that holiday travel<\/a> prices have gone down. They make the email look like it’s actually from the company, using legit logos and designs to make it seem like a real email.<\/p>\n However, once they click on the link, they are instructed to fill out an online form with personal and financial information depending on what they clicked on the link for.\u00a0Once the victim fills out their information, the scammer can then use the information to steal their identities<\/a> or their money.<\/p>\n Scammers create fake websites that support a charity<\/a> and ask victims to make donations this holiday season. The victims donate excessive amounts of money<\/a> in order to support the cause of the charity. However, the victims don’t realize is that scammers will then use the victims’ personal and financial information entered to steal identities<\/a> or money.<\/p>\n Victims receive a text message or email claiming that their FedEx package<\/a> or Amazon package<\/a> has been delayed until after Christmas. The victim becomes scared that they won’t get their package right away and clicks on the link in the text to track their package. Once they click on the link, scammers can then steal personal information from victims’ devices using malware<\/a>. They can also put a form on these fake tracking websites to try and collect personal and financial information from the victims to steal their money and identities.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-11-at-1.11.38-PM.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n Scammers send victims links to fake websites<\/a> via email or text message, claiming that they are an online store, a loan website, or a charity. Scammers will also make these websites viewable via Google. They claim that if you fill out certain forms or pay for items using a wire transfer, PayPal<\/a>, CashApp<\/a>, credit card information<\/a>, or gift card<\/a> that you will get your items at a much cheaper rate. The reality is that you will not get your product, and instead, you will get your money and identity stolen<\/a> if you give them this information.<\/p>\n Scammers claim that the victim can receive free iPhones<\/a>, iPads, or other gift options if they just click on a link<\/a>. Once the victim clicks on a link, they are asked to fill out their personal information and also their financial information to pay a small “shipping fee” for this item. However, once you enter this information the scammer can then use this to steal a victim’s identity<\/a> and life savings.<\/p>\n Scammers post fake work-from-home jobs<\/a> on sites, such as Indeed<\/a> and Upwork<\/a>, and victims apply for these jobs thinking they are legit. A scammer then asks to do an interview via instant messaging<\/a> and hires the victim right away. While this sounds simple enough, the scammers send the victims fake checks to get the supplies they need for their job. Scammers send more money than they promised on purpose so that the scammer can ask the victim to send the money back to them. Once the victim cashes the check and sends the scammer money, the bank contacts the victim and informs them that the check is fake. The victim is now responsible for paying the whole amount of the check back.<\/p>\n Because the global pandemic<\/a> has put stress on global travel, companies are having issues shipping their goods across borders. Because so much of what we buy on a daily basis comes from overseas, causing a supply chain shortage<\/a>. this may make it difficult to get the products you have been looking for this holiday. Scammers may take this as an opportunity to put fake listings of goods on websites for products that you are having problems finding elsewhere and taking your money. These fraudulent listings can cost you a lot of money and lead to a lot of disappointments, that’s why it is important to run a reverse search on the seller of these goods before you make a purchase. Use the search bar below to run a deep search<\/a> on anyone.<\/p>\nFake Charities<\/h3>\n
Package Text Message Phishing Scams<\/h3>\n
Fake Website Scams<\/h3>\n
Free Item Scam<\/h3>\n
Work From Home Holiday Jobs<\/h3>\n
Supply Chain Shortages<\/strong><\/h2>\n