With the holiday season in full swing, people everywhere are focused on participating in seasonal festivities, spending time with their loved ones, and shopping for gifts. While this tends to be the most exciting time of the year, the risk of fraud and scammers is exceedingly common.
Why could you be at risk?
As people from all over the world are purchasing gifts for their friends and family, scammers often take advantage of this exceptionally busy time of year. Scammers use the stressful, and sometimes chaotic, atmosphere of the holiday season to trick people into giving away their sensitive information and money. Common tactics, such as fake websites or social media profiles, phishing emails, or phone calls impersonating legitimate organizations, are increasingly more prevalent and convincing each year.
Why does fraud increase during the holiday season?
Fraud tends to increase during the holiday season for several reasons. First and foremost, scammers are aware that people are generally more distracted and busy, making them more vulnerable to scams. Scammers will take advantage of the goodwill and generous spirits that people feel during the holidays by impersonating charitable organizations seeking donations.The holiday season is a time when many will shop for gifts online or will send money to friends, family, charities, and more, providing ample opportunity for scammers to intercept sensitive information or steal money.
How can you avoid fraud this holiday season?
To protect you, here are our top five tips to follow to help keep you and your loved ones protected from fraud this holiday season.
1. Shop on websites you trust.
Look for secure and reputable websites. Look for websites that use secure connections, such as “https” at the beginning of their URL. This protects sensitive information from being intercepted by third parties.
Avoid unfamiliar websites and websites with histories of having security issues. Shop on established websites that you know and trust. Websites of major retailers with reliable online security features, such as Amazon and Target, are a great place to start.
Pay attention to the padlock symbol next to the website URL. Another great way to identify the validity of a website is to find the padlock symbol (🔒) next to the URL. If you do not see the padlock symbol, or if the symbol is indicating some sort of threat or warning, the website’s payment portal may not be secure.
2. Avoid making purchases and accessing sensitive information when using public or unsecured WiFi.
Use a secure connection. When making purchases or accessing sensitive information online, use a secure, encrypted connection to help protect your information. When using an unsecured or public WiFi network, avoid entering sensitive information, including credit card numbers, personal details, and passwords. Wait until you can be connected to a secure network to enter this information to prevent it from being intercepted or stolen by others who may be using the same public network.
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN can encrypt your internet connection and help protect your information from being intercepted. If you frequently use public WiFi, it is especially recommended to use a VPN to secure your connection.
3. Verify requests for donations and money.
Take caution against unsolicited requests for donations. Unsolicited requests for donations or money, especially via email, social media, or phone calls, are often channels through which scammers try to trick people into sending money or giving away their personal information.
Research and verify the organization, charity, or individual. Before sending money or making a donation, research the organization or individual and verify their legitimacy by checking their website(s) or social media page(s). Another way to confirm their identity is to consider reaching out to them directly.
4. Be mindful of skimming devices and activity when shopping in stores.
Watch for suspicious devices. Skimming devices are typically attached to payment terminals, like ATMs, gas pumps, or card readers, and will collect your debit or credit card information for fraudulent purposes. Also, be sure to check for tampering or the use of suspicious devices before inserting your card into any terminal.
Protect your card and your information. When inserting your card into a payment terminal, be mindful to cover the keypad before entering your PIN to prevent outsiders from seeing this information.
Use contactless payments. Contactless payments, when available, are safer as they can help reduce the risk of your card being skimmed or compromised.
5. Check your bank and credit card accounts frequently.
Be proactive. Especially during the holiday season, do not wait until the end of the month to check your accounts. Build it into your routine or set a schedule to make sure you are checking on your accounts regularly.
Use a secure network. When checking on your account activity, make sure you are using a private, secured network in order to prevent your information from being intercepted by a third party. If you can only use a public network, consider using a VPN to help protect your personal and financial information.
And to keep you extra safe, here are five bonus tips!
6. Don’t click on links without verifying the sender first.
7. Protect your passwords.
8. Monitor the shipping process.
9. Use a debit or credit card with anti-fraud features.
10. Keep your devices up to date with software, browser, and app updates.
Although it may be the most exciting time of the year, it is extremely important to be alert and to take every precaution in order to protect yourself from falling victim to fraud. The holidays are a scammer’s favorite season, which makes it that much more important to take the necessary steps to keep yourself safe and protected.
