Every year, new scams proliferate during the holiday season, and 2021 is certainly not going to be any different. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging in 2021, it’s important to keep an eye on holiday scams you might see as you’re shopping. Here are four of the biggest holiday scams to be paying attention to this year, as well as a few ways to keep yourself safe.
1. Spoofing Websites and Media Campaigns
When a scammer spoofs a website, email or media campaign using the name of a well-known retailer, that’s called phishing. A scammer may use phishing to try and get you to place an order on a fake website, hoping to make off with the money without sending you any products, or may use phishing as a way to collect your personal information, including bank account information, name and address, credit card information, and more. Remember to always check that you’re on an official website, and don’t use websites you’ve never seen before when you’re making purchases.
2. Charity Scams
Unfortunately, the pandemic’s massive loss of life and disabling impacts has led to an easy opening for charity scams this year. Charity scams are fairly simple: Someone calls you claiming to be from a real charity or from a charity that doesn’t actually exist, then asks if you want to donate to the organization. If you say yes, the scammer will just steal your money, and they may even be able to steal special information like your credit card information.
3. Missed Delivery Scams
If you get an email purportedly from a shipping website informing you that your package is “delayed” or “missed” and you need to sign in to see more, you should be suspicious. Don’t click on links in your email claiming that you need to sign in for shipping updates. Instead, go to the website directly by typing it into your web browser. That way, you’re not signing in on a phony website, inadvertently giving your login information to scammers and hackers.
4. Travel Scams
Any time people are traveling, it’s always important to stay on the lookout for travel scams. Despite the pandemic, nearly half of all American adults are planning to travel in some way for the holidays, and the pandemic has hit many people’s wallets especially hard, which means you might be looking for low-cost travel options. However, if a travel deal looks too good to be true, it’s typically best to assume it is. Chances are, you’re not getting what you think you signed up for.
Staying Safe, Especially Online
Online fraud is one of the most common types of fraud out there. If you’re planning to shop online at all this holiday season, you need to be aware of cybercrime and its impact on people across the United States and beyond every day. Don’t just assume that you’ll know when a scammer is trying to contact you. Many people don’t realize they’ve been scammed until it’s too late.
This is one of the reasons that more and more people are turning to security options like PeopleFinders. If you want to make sure you don’t become a victim of cybercrime, it’s best to use additional security, which may include PeopleFinders. Online shopping can be dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be as long as you know how to do it.
Conclusion
There are many different types of scams, and many companies will simply adapt their techniques in a more holiday-friendly way every year. However, these are four of the most common types of scams you might see during the holiday season. Knowing more about these scams can help you avoid them, so if you’re planning to shop online or generally be online this year during the holiday season, keep an eye out for these scams and use PeopleFinders to keep yourself safe.
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