Holiday scams are a large umbrella term for all predictable scams that come during the holiday season. Scammers know that the holiday season is the time to give, and they will try to abuse it. Therefore, it is important to follow our safety tips and to do our research if you are interested in giving to charities.
The first scam that is predictable is the “charity scam.” This is when scammers pretend to be a charity and ask for donations. Victims think they are giving to a “cause” but, they are giving money to criminals. Or worse, they give bank account information to them! Remember, NEVER GIVE MONEY OR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO ANYONE WHO CALLS YOU! If you receive a call from a charity and you are interested in donating, end the call and research the charity. Only after your research, call the true and accurate number to donate. Unfortunately, we can no longer trust a google search. We are now recommending that people “google maps” search. Find the building on google maps and it will give you the real number.
The second scam that is popular is the “package is delayed” scam. With the holidays, many families give gifts to their loved ones and friends. With Amazon, FEDEX, etc. being easy ways to buy and ship packages. Just like the scam above, the criminals also know this. Scammers will send random text messages or email to people stating something like, “your package is delayed due to X, Y, or Z.” Then they will prompt you to click a link. They will try to look like popular delivery service links by adding the name to it; example, UPSpackageissue.com or AMAZONVERIFICATION. We do not know if these links are safe or not, so DO NOT OPEN LINKS! If you are expecting a package, call the delivery service or the company you bought the gift to check the status. Always keep the tracking number or the order number… at least until you receive the package.