Online Scams to be Aware of This Christmas

The Holidays are here. It would be nice if this season of cheers was all happiness and joy, but unfortunately, there are malicious people out there who will capitalize on your good spirits to cause havoc and scam you out of a lot of money. 

People tend to drop their guarding during the holidays, resulting in emotional vulnerabilities that can easily be exploited. If you think that you are safe from scams just because you are safe at home behind a computer screen, think again.

The basic idea of a scam is always the same: trickery and deceit.

Please keep these tips in mind and stay alert.

Deceptive Giveaways on Social Networks

 

For those who spend a lot of time on social networks - especially Facebook - there is a need to be wary when you come across any link. Even links shared by a friend trusted with whole heart could be a potential threat. Though your friend may be the farthest thing from malicious, but also there is also always a chance that their account has been compromised. 

Around this time of the year, there will be  plenty of claims that promise free giveaways, free gift cards, and free products where the only catch is that you need to click a link and answer a  question or fill out some details. If you click, you are as good as done. 

At best, these sites will steal your personal details and spam you in the future or sell your data to other companies that will spam you in the future. At worst, they will snag your credit card details or install dangerous malware on your computer without you knowing.

Stay safe by not clicking on these links. If you are really interested, you can get away by running a few search to see if the giveaway is legitimate, and still yet you need to be wary.

Shopping Notification Emails

The months of November, December, and January are filled with online shoppers who want to take advantage of amazing deals and holiday sales; and that means there are lots of  products being shipped all around the world. Scammers have learnt to exploit this by sending out fake notification emails. 

If you have not purchased anything online and/or cannot recognize the purported sender or product, toss up the email notification out or chalk it as a scam. Do not fall for these. 

Why are these dangerous? It is simply because they will usually mention some sort of problem with the shipping or delivery of your product and ask you to sign in to resolve the issue. The hope is that you will click one of the email links - which will be a fake - and enter your online details (Amazon, eBay, etc). they will steal that information and use it against you.

Stay safe by never clicking on a links that are directly within an email. If for example you get an Amazon notification, the safest thing is to open a new tab in your browser and enter manually by typing in the address proper. Links though they seem more convenient, but emails and link addresses are easy to spoof and use as hoax. 

Fake Online Charities

As Christmas nears closer, we tend to feel a bit more generous towards those who are sick and in need and charity donations increase in the winter months.

The sad thing is that scammers know how to exploit this also.

Before giving out a few bucks of your money to the charity that wins your heart, you should be aware that you might be donating to a fake. These scammers will collect hundreds or thousands of dollars before pulling the plug and running away with all the money. Though it is a sick praise but it does happen.

Be safe by researching the charity you are donating to and donate to only those who have proven to be reputable.

Phising Malware Apps

 Like computers, smartphones are vulnerable to malware and viruses. This is not quite surprising as smartphones are pretty-much mini-computers nowadays. However, the surprising issue is that there are now prevalent malware in the mobile world. 

During the holiday season, scammers will try - and succeed - in putting fake shopping apps on the various app stores in order to trick users into typing in their personal details. People can end up giving away banking details or entire identities this way. 

Stay safe by downloading apps that have received good reviews. If there is a need to use a shopping app, then stick with the ones that are tried and true. Experimenting with new apps can be fun but there is also risk involved. likewise, stay up-to-date with smartphones antivirus apps.

Anonymous E-Cards

E-Cards seem like a relic of the Internet Age from the past but they are still alive and kicking. It is always nice to receive a e-card because it shows that there is someone out there who is thinking of you. Fake  e-cards on the hands are a pain in the butt.

If you have not gotten a fake e-card before, it is simply pretty to spot. An email is received from an unnamed person with the email saying there is need to click a link to view the sent e-card. 

However, never open e-cards from anonymous senders. A genuine e-card should atleast identify the sender in the email. If it does not say who it is - or you do not recognize the sender - put it in the trash. Better to be safe than sorry. 

As you celebrate the yuletide season, do not let these scams put a taint on your Christmas. However, be aware of their existence and be smart as you browse the web this holiday season. Being scammed is the fastest way to lose all of your holiday cheers and we would not want that to happen.