The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns the public about scams during the holidays. The big four scams of the season are:
- Non-delivery scams – when you never receive an item you paid for.
- Non-payment scams – when you ship something but never receive payment for it.
- Auction fraud – when an auction purchase was misrepresented.
- Gift card fraud – when a seller asks you to pay with a pre-paid card.
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) 2023 report, non-payment and non-delivery scams cost people over $281 million that year. Credit card fraud accounted for another $264 million in losses.
Click with caution
Don’t click any suspicious links or attachments in emails, on websites, or on social media. Not sure if the email is legitimate? Simply report the email using the Phish Alert Button (PAB) in your Outlook interface. It is always best to be cautious and report anything remotely suspicious. Our team will analyze all submissions and return them to you if they are determined to be safe.
Instead of clicking on an advertisement—which could be malicious—consider visiting the website directly. If the sale advertised is legitimate, you should still see it on the website. Exercise caution around QR codes.
Verify the seller
Check each website’s URL to ensure it’s legitimate and free of typos. The site you’re buying from should have “https” in the web address. If it doesn’t, don’t enter your information on that site.
If you’re purchasing from a company for the first time, search the internet for reviews. Be wary of buyers and sellers with mostly unfavorable feedback ratings or no ratings at all.
Be careful how you pay
Never wire money directly to a seller.
Avoid paying for items with pre-paid gift cards. In these scams, a seller asks for a gift card number and PIN. Instead of charging that gift card for your payment, the scammer will steal the funds, and you’ll never receive your item.
Use a credit card when shopping online, and check your statement regularly for suspicious transactions. Fortunately, most credit card companies offer $0 fraud liability, so if you see a suspicious transaction, dispute the charge.
References
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/holiday-scams