Holiday Season Scams

Image of Presents

Beware of fraudsters trying to advantage of the holiday season to steal your money:

Delivery Text/Email Scams

Fraudsters will pretend to be a company like Amazon and send a text or email claiming that an item you ordered cannot be delivered.  You have to click a link and enter your password or payment information to complete the delivery.  Make sure you are expecting a package, and if so, contact the company directly to verify there isn’t a problem.

Non-Delivery Scams

You make an online purchase but never receive your package.  Research the seller before you buy an item, learn about the refund process, and refuse to deal with any seller who demands you pay with gift cards, wires, or cryptocurrency.

Non-Payment Scams

You sell an item online and ship it, but the buyer never pays you.  Research the buyer before you make the sale.

Brushing Scams

You suddenly receive a bunch of items you never ordered.  A fraudster has used your information to post positive reviews of the items to boost their own sales.  The fraudster has your personal information.

Stolen Packages

Thieves are taking packages left on the porch or out in the open.  Schedule packages to arrive when you’re home or require a signature before the package will be dropped off.

Gift Card Fraud

They may sell you already used gift cards, or they skim gift card information in the store and wait for someone to activate them.  Do not use a gift card that has been tampered with.  Visit the Gift Card Scams page for more information.

Card Skimmers

Watch out for skimmers on gas pumps or card readers that will try to steal your card information.  Check for anything loose or unusual on the card reader.  Visit our Skimmers page for more information.

Charity Scams

Fraudsters will set up fake organizations and try to convince you to give money for a good cause.  Verify any charity to make sure it’s real and legitimate before you donate.  Visit our Charity Scams page for more information.

Travel Scams

They try to get you to purchase travel packages that are too good to be true so that you can visit family and friends.  Visit our Travel Scams page for more information.

If You Become a Victim

Take the following actions right away:

  1. Notify your bank or credit union of any fraudulent transactions.
  2. Change passwords on any accounts that may be compromised.
  3. File a police report.
  4. Notify the actual company unknowingly involved in a scam.
  5. File a complaint with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.

Video

Watch this video from WUSA9 on some common holiday scams and how to protect yourself: