Protect Your Precious Moments: Stay Safe from Holiday Scams

The holiday season–a moment where you spend your time with family or special ones, but unfortunately, scammers find this opportunity. As travel; online shopping trends, and extensive use of gift cards are increasing, holiday scams are progressing too. This scam is targeting innocent people and ruining their special moments and money. Not only this, but such planning becomes the financial loss of various worldwide by exploiting their privacy and identity during the festive celebrations. 

However, according to the TransUnion report from 2022, a huge rise in scams has been reported alongside the online scams in the U.S. exceeding up to 127% between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday in contrast to the earlier year. Furthermore, another study revealed that up to one-third of people have experienced online shopping scams during the holiday making this period horrible for them but lucrative for fraudsters. 

Instead of letting holiday scams ruin your festive fun, be prepared to outsmart scam artists. Read on for more practical tips on how to stay safe during this season.

Understanding the Basics of Holiday Scams

Holiday scams are schemes to take advantage of the heightened spending, generosity, and distractions of the holiday season. These scams usually come in the form of fake deals, phishing emails, counterfeit websites, or fraudulent charity appeals, all with the intent of stealing money or sensitive information. Scammers prey on the urgency and excitement of the holidays by using too-good-to-be-true discounts, fake travel offers, or urgent face payment demands. The key to protecting yourself is through the recognition of these tactics, caution with unknown links or offers, and ensuring the legitimacy of any deal or communication. Knowing how such scams work is the first step toward staying safe this holiday season.

Why Do Scammers Target the Holiday Season?

The holiday season is scammers’ favorite period, when people are emotionally more active, distracted, and engaged in monetary transactions, such as shopping and charity contributions. The festive frenzy creates a scenario where many become lenient and hence more susceptible to Christmas scams and online false advertisements. Advanced technologies have also birthed holiday deepfake scams where fake videos and messages are used to impersonate trusted brands, charities, or even loved ones. 

Furthermore, the increased reliance on digital platforms for purchases and travel bookings creates ample opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities. For the scammers, the Christmas season brings not only goodwill but the ideal setting for pulling off fraud schemes by disguising their dubious activities as those of festive fun.

Common Holiday Scams to Watch Out For

The holiday season is expected to see a rise in holiday cyber scams and online holiday scams because of increased activity on the digital platform. Other common holiday scams include fake delivery notifications, phishing links, fraudulent gift card offers, and fake charities. Other common ones include fake giveaways, traveling deals, and grandparent scams. These often are based on urgency and emotional manipulation. Be safe and avoid such scams by remaining vigilant, verifying unsolicited offers, and not sharing any personal details without confirmation.

• Phishing messages that pose as legitimate companies such as USPS, UPS, or FedEx, with false tracking numbers or claims of a missed delivery. 
• This usually links to phishing websites or malware.
• Scammers may request that victims purchase gift cards for nonexistent products or services, or sell what appears to be discounted cards. 
• These cannot be traced, making them an ideal instrument for fraudsters.
• Scammers impersonate charities, often taking advantage of people’s goodwill during the holiday season. 
• They may ask for donations through unsolicited messages, typically requesting gift cards or banking details.
• Grandparent Scams: Scammers pose as a loved one in distress, often using caller ID spoofing or AI voice cloning to sound convincing. 
• They then demand money to help with an emergency or crisis, usually requesting that payment be made via wire transfer or gift cards.
• Holiday Travel Scams Scammers offer unbelievably low-priced vacation packages and travel deals. 
• The scammer demands upfront payment; then the “deal” does not exist, and there are fraudulent charges on their credit card.
• Scammers claim that you have won a prize or sweepstakes, prompting you to click a malicious link or provide some personal details. 
• These types of scams usually ask for sensitive information or charge money for shipping an imaginary prize.

Be wise and verify the offers or messages before acting on them if you want to avoid such holiday cyber scams.

Warning Signs of a Holiday Scam

With the excitement of the holiday season, many people experience increased levels of excitement and joy, while holiday cyber scams are at an all-time high. It is therefore very important to be alert for signs to avoid being caught by these fraudsters. Some of the most common signs include receiving unsolicited messages through emails, text messages, or even calls that tend to promise too-good deals. 

A warning sign is that scammers try to create a sense of urgency to get you to do something quickly or else miss out. Another warning sign is that they ask you to pay through means that don’t normally get used, like gift cards or wire transfers. Be wary if communication lacks clarity or doesn’t give you proper contact information from the supposed company or charity. Always verify the sender and any offer before providing personal or financial information. Recognizing these signs can make a big difference in saving you from online holiday scams.

Steps to Protect Your Precious Moments

Be cautious about scams during the holiday season. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you avoid getting scammed and keep your personal and financial information secure:

• Always buy goods and services from reputable vendors and always double-check URLs before finishing an online transaction. This will help you avoid being a victim of common scams such as:
• Avoid buying gift cards from companies claiming to sell them for incredibly low prices.
• Be cautious about opening links in unsolicited holiday emails or texts claiming discount holiday deals.
• To determine legitimacy, visit the company website independently.
• Never forget to check URLs that appear to match the familiar retail website but have only an “http://” with no padlock icon.
• Be cautious about anything that sounds too good to be true because, in reality, it usually is.
• Mostly attached to card readers by thieves to capture the card data. To avoid this, always use the following techniques to prevent your theft:
• Inserting or tapping your card’s chip instead of swiping it.
• Covering the keypad when entering your PIN.
• Comparing the card reader with others in the area to ensure it is legitimate.
• Checking for security seals, especially at gas stations.
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi to shop online: To keep your data safe from hackers:
• Do not shop online using public Wi-Fi networks.
• Use a reliable password manager and update your passwords frequently.
• Do not give your credit card information over the phone in public places.
• Before donating, check the charities you are giving to, use secure methods of payment, and do not donate via links from emails or texts to avoid deepfake Christmas scams and other phishing schemes.

These steps will ensure that your holiday season is merry, not fraudulent, and you keep your precious moments from being compromised.

What to Do If You Encounter a Scam?

If you have fallen victim to a scam, it’s time to act fast and secure yourself. Report the scam to your bank, local authorities, or consumer protection agencies immediately. Change any passwords and secure your online accounts, especially if personal information has been compromised. 

Deepfake scams happen when individuals are impersonated with the help of manipulated videos or images. In this regard, technologies such as deepfake detection of FACIA and face verification can be used to check suspicious faces and videos, thus preventing fallen victims from holiday scammers. Stay alert and fight back – act fast and employ the best tools available. Learn more about how Facia’s deepfake detection can help protect you.