6 sneaky scams that could ruin your holiday season

The holiday season is a time filled with joy, festivities and cherished moments with family and friends. However, amidst the hustle and bustle of shopping, cooking and celebrating, it’s easy to overlook a lurking danger: scams. Scammers thrive during this busy time, preying on our excitement and stress to trick us into revealing personal information or losing money. We’re going to discuss six sneaky scams that could ruin your holiday spirit and provide you with essential tips on how to protect yourself from these deceptive tactics.

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1) Package delivery scam

With the holiday season in full swing, the end-of-year sales have begun, and you probably have already started your holiday shopping and are expecting packages coming via different types of delivery services like FedEx, UPS or USPS. So, if you receive a text that mentions a package delivery, you may be likely to easily fall for a scam. I was expecting a package recently and received this text out of the blue (see image).

Fake package delivery scam text (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Even though the text says the sender is not in my contact list and that it may be junk, I almost clicked the link because I was so focused on the fact that there may have been a typo in my delivery address. But once I looked a little closer, there were a few red flags in this text message that tipped me off to it being a scam.

• First, the link does not lead you to usps.com. It’s a fake link that scammers hope you won’t notice. Notice it is uspsts.top and not usps.com. This is a common scam going around called typosquatting wherein a scammer uses a domain that looks close to a real website. Next, the text says “pls,” which is lingo for “please” that you likely wouldn’t see in correspondence from the USPS. Scammers often make typos or use poor grammar when communicating, so always double-check.
• Scammers are sending emails, texts and even occasionally there could be a phone call that is regarding an issue with package delivery. It may be something like this text I received that has a link where they’ll end up asking for information, or you may be asked to pay a “shipping fee” to get your package.
• Be sure to always have strong antivirus software running on your devices to prevent any disasters from happening if you were to click on a malicious link. See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

How to avoid package delivery scams

If you are expecting a package, and you’re wondering if you’ve received real information or not about it, the best way to check is to go to the original confirmation you received about shipping. You most likely received an email regarding your package, and if you go to that email to get your order number, you should be able to look up the status of your order directly on any website.

A woman shopping on her laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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2) Charity scams

Sadly, charity scams aren’t new, but they are way more prevalent during the holiday season since scammers are hoping you’re feeling more generous during this time of year. Sometimes, scammers may create fake names of organizations to get you to donate money, or they may reach out to you via phone/email/text posing as someone working for a legitimate charity. Social media has also become a popular place for charities to market themselves and reach more eyes in hopes of donations, so scammers may try to pose as fake charities. These schemes will try to appeal to your emotions during this season, so be sure to check where you donate your money so you don’t fall for a scam.

How to avoid charity scams

Never give your money to anyone immediately who approaches you or reaches out on behalf of any organization without doing your own independent research. Either do a little googling or check with a family member to see if it’s real, and if it is, you should be able to donate to an official website or an official address. You can always mention this to anyone who asks you to donate somewhere. Don’t fall into the pressure of donating right then and there. Also, always double-check the name of an organization. Sometimes (especially online), scammers will alter the name of a known organization slightly to trick you into donating.

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3) Social media gift exchange scam

The Better Business Bureau is warning about a gift exchange scam with a new twist, which has been occurring during recent holiday seasons. It’s an online version of the popular “Secret Santa” gift exchange. However, the BBB says these social media-driven gift exchanges are actually pyramid schemes, and you will most likely be disappointed if you participate.

In the past few years, variations of the gift exchange have popped up, with someone asking you to select a random person and send them a gift to pay it forward. Another asks you to exchange bottles of wine with someone else, and while it seems fun and light-hearted, you don’t know who is on the receiving end.

How to avoid social media gift exchange scams

It may sound nice to send a holiday gift to a stranger in turn for receiving multiple gifts yourself, but you’re never going to receive many (if any) gifts at all. Don’t participate in gift exchanges with anyone you don’t know, or you won’t be able to guarantee you’ll actually be gifting someone who isn’t a scammer.

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4) Gift card scams

Gift card scams are another popular method that has been rising in popularity recently, but it’s especially important to watch out for the possibilities, since you may be purchasing gift cards for friends or family for the holidays. Scammers often steal gift cards and use the information before they make it look like they didn’t. They have a number of methods for tricking you using gift cards, so if you can send an online one (so that you can ensure you’ve purchased it on a legitimate, official website), that would be a much safer alternative.

How to avoid gift card scams

If you’re getting anyone a gift card and buying it in person, be sure to check that the package hasn’t been tampered with. Double-check that nothing on the packaging looks suspicious since scammers will try to make it seem like the package was sealed, but they will already have used the gift card, so you’re essentially buying a useless piece of plastic.

Illustration of a gift card (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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5) Home Depot email confirmation scam

Scammers are capitalizing on the festive spirit with a deceptive email campaign targeting people at this time of year. This scam involves a deceptive email that appears to be from Home Depot with such wording as “Confirmation needed: please confirm receipt.” The email body typically contains enticing text like “Congratulations! The Home Depot – You are our winner!” along with a customer number and a blue circle that says, “Check if you won.” Who couldn’t use a little extra cheer or perhaps a holiday prize from Home Depot this season?

The problem is this is a scam, and the goal of this scam is to lure you into clicking on an embedded link, which can lead to various malicious outcomes. These include phishing for personal and financial information, installing malware on your device, redirecting to a fake website that resembles Home Depot’s or prompting you to pay a “delivery fee” for a non-existent prize.

How to avoid Home Depot email scams

To protect yourself from this and similar scams, scrutinize the sender’s email address for any discrepancies. Hover over links without clicking to reveal their true destination. Be wary of unexpected “winnings” or requests for confirmation. If you receive an email that raises suspicion, contact Home Depot directly through their official website or customer service number to verify its legitimacy. Finally, remember that legitimate companies will not ask you to confirm sensitive information via email or require you to click on links to claim prizes.

Fake Home Depot winning email (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

6) Fake online shopping sites scam

One of the most common scams during the holiday season is the fake online shopping site scam. Scammers create websites that look like legitimate online stores but are actually designed to steal your personal and financial information. They may offer products at very low prices or claim to have limited-time deals or exclusive items. They may also send you phishing emails or text messages with links to these fake sites.

A woman shopping on her laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Some signs of a fake online shopping site are:

• The website address does not match the name of the store or brand.
• The website has poor design and/or spelling and grammar errors.
• The website does not have a secure connection (https) or a padlock icon in the address bar.
• The website asks for too much personal information, such as your Social Security number or bank account details.
• The website does not have a clear return policy, contact information or customer reviews.

How to avoid falling victim to this scam

By following a few simple precautions, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling prey to online scams and ensure a safer shopping experience.

1) Shop only from trusted and reputable online stores that you know and have used before.

2) Check the website address carefully and look for any red flags.

3) Do some research on the online store before making a purchase. Read customer reviews, look for ratings or search for complaints online.

4) Use a credit card or a secure payment service like PayPal when shopping online. Do not use debit cards, wire transfers or gift cards.

5) Keep track of your online purchases and monitor your bank statements for any unauthorized charges.

6) Use strong antivirus protection software. An effective antivirus software is a must-have. The best way to protect yourself from clicking on any malicious links on fake websites or in phishing emails and text messages is to have antivirus protection installed and actively running on all your devices. It’s the best to help stop and alert you of any malware in your system and ultimately protect you from being hacked. See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

7) Use a personal data removal service. Scammers can obtain your information from various online sources, including data brokers, people search sites and public records. Using a data removal service can help reduce your digital footprint, making it harder for scammers to access your personal information. This proactive step can be crucial in preventing identity theft and minimizing the chances of falling victim to scams during the busy holiday season.

While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

I’ve been scammed! What to do next?

Below are some next steps if you find you or your loved one is a victim of identity theft.

1) If you can regain control of your accounts, change your passwords and inform the account provider

2) Look through bank statements and checking account transactions to see where outlier activity started

3) Use an identity theft protection service: Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. 

One of the best parts of using some services is that they might include identity theft insurance of up to $1 million to cover losses and legal fees and a white-glove fraud resolution team where a U.S.-based case manager helps you recover any losses. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

4) Report any breaches to official government agencies like the Federal Communications Commission.

5) Get the professional advice of a lawyer

• Before speaking to law enforcement, especially when you are dealing with criminal identity theft
• If being a victim of criminal identity theft leaves you unable to secure employment or housing

6) Alert all three major credit bureaus and possibly place a fraud alert on your credit report.

7) Run your own background check or request a copy of one if that is how you discovered your information has been used by a criminal.

If you are a victim of identity theft, the most important thing to do is to take immediate action to mitigate the damage and prevent further harm.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

As we dive into the holiday season, let’s keep our guard up against those sneaky scams that could spoil our celebrations. Remember to stay vigilant while shopping online or responding to unexpected messages. A little caution can go a long way in ensuring that your holidays remain joyful and stress-free. So, enjoy the festivities, cherish the moments with loved ones, and keep these tips in mind to outsmart the scammers.

What are some of your personal experiences with holiday scams, and how did you protect yourself from them? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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