Thanks to our friends at Greene County Council on Aging (GCCOA) for providing a list of scams to be aware of this season. Stay alert and have a wonderful, scam-free holiday season!
Internet Scams
The main scam: By far the fastest-growing online holiday scam is the setting up of bogus websites offering just about everything you could want for Christmas, especially those hard to find gifts, at fantastic bargain prices.
You do a search for a gift you're planning to buy and suddenly you find it way cheaper than you had imagined. The website sales page looks professional, often bristling with testimonials from supposedly satisfied customers and logos suggesting top-line security.
These sites are easy to set up and the number has mushroomed in the past year, hosted all over the world.
As we previously warned, scammers will not only take your money for something they won't send you, they could also use your credit card details to buy other stuff for themselves and use your personal details for identity theft.
How to avoid it: Don't trust a site or name you don't know -- check them out. Don't fall for prices that are too good to be true -- they usually are. Use a one-time card number available from some credit card companies to protect your financial details. Always make sure the web site has an ‘https;//’ address, which signifies that the site’s transaction is encrypted.
Also watch out for: Phony ads on auction sites; eGreetings card links that take you to a bogus site or download malware onto your computer; overpriced items or flashy illustrations that lead you to think they're higher quality or better products than they really are; counterfeit designer label products.
Bogus free iPad offers started popping up immediately after Apple's tablet went on sale, and they've since been banned from Facebook. Still, you might see similar offers around the Web, prompting you to buy other products as a condition of getting the free iPad. By now, you should realize it's too good to be true.
That free $1,000 gift card offer you saw on Facebook? Bogus, of course. Security experts say that cybercrooks lure people into giving away their personal information or taking quizzes in exchange for these cards, which you then never receive. The information is then sold to marketers or used for identity theft. Gift cards sold on auction sites are quite often frauds — either they are stolen, used, or counterfeit or they aren’t worth the amount of money they’re advertised at. It’s safer to buy gift cards directly from the merchant.
Never give anyone your social security number, date of birth, or other personal information when buying a gift card. A legit seller would not ask for it.
Public Wi-Fi networks will get a workout this holiday season as people travel. This is especially true with Google offering free Wi-Fi on domestic flights from three major airlines. Number one tip:
NEVER shop or pay bills over a public network. Spam solicitations: Never buy anything from an unsolicited e-mail. No matter how good a deal you think you are getting, it is not worth the risk of losing your money or giving any of your information to a possible scam artist. By responding to these e-mails, you are begging to receive so much spam as to make your inbox unusable, because this lets the spammers know that you have a working e-mail address. You are also proclaiming yourself easily fooled and a great target for any number of Internet scams -- such as identity theft. It is unfortunate that spam scams have become so prevalent that they are virtually indistinguishable from legitimate advertisers -- and there are legitimate advertisers out there. But as this is the current reality, don't take the risk.
Charity-related Scams
The main scam: Holidays are just the best time for scammers to tug on our heartstrings. And the most likely place you'll encounter them is when they rattle a collection box in front of you either as you do your shopping or at your front door.
They may use all kinds of props to fool you, wearing seasonal costumes, dressed in familiar uniforms, wearing badges or carrying some other kind of bogus authorization. Often, scammers use kids to convince you they're genuine.
How to avoid it: If you don't have time to check out how genuine the collector is, simply don't give. If you want to help them, find the charity name and donate directly. Look for Salvation Army and other collectors actually inside stores -- they're a safer bet.
Also watch out for: Telephone solicitations (how can you possibly know the caller is who they say they are, and why on earth would you give them your credit card number?) and sellers at your doorstep who show you a charity catalog, take your money, and never come back. According to the Federal Trade Commission, many of the calls you get this year will be from scam artists. The FTC has a
checklist of warning signs to help you steer clear of charity scams. Your best bet is to not make any quick decisions, ask for information in writing and research the charity before cutting any checks.
Holiday Scams in the Mall
The main scam: Crowds mean rich rewards for pickpockets. If they steal your wallet, they'll have not only your money but also your credit cards and personal information that could lead to identify theft.
With a quick bump or, more often these days, a distraction from an accomplice, they can remove your wallet from your pocket or purse in seconds.
But why stop there? They'll take any accessible gift from your shopping bags too.
How to avoid it: Keep your wallet inside a closed purse or in a pocket with your hand on it. Leave non-essential identifying information and spare credit cards at home. Return frequently with gifts to your car and lock them out of sight in the trunk. If someone calls for your attention, protect your possessions first, before you react to the person calling you.
Also watch out for: Charity collectors as mentioned above; people hovering around you as you pay; temporary stores or booths whose operators may disappear after Christmas, leaving you unable to return goods; offers of "cheap" items from someone who approaches you in the parking lot.
Holiday Scams in Your Home
The main scam: As mentioned above, bogus charity collectors may come knocking at your door this festive season. But one of the newer scams seen this year that's likely to take advantage of Christmas activities is the "parcel-waiting" trick.
You get a card through your door saying an unsuccessful attempt was made to deliver a package to your home and that you should call a particular number for more details.
You might reasonably be expecting a parcel at this time of year, so you call the number and get a recorded message or music that keeps you on the line for a while. In fact, you've connected to a premium line or overseas service, which will be charged at exorbitant rates on your next phone bill.
Or you may be asked to provide personal information that could be used for identity theft, or to give information that would let a thief know when you're going to be out.
How to avoid it: Check the name of the company that left the delivery notice on the Internet. Also check online lists of overseas phone codes. If the number is not a 1-800 or local call, it may well be a scam. Don't give out personal details over the phone to someone you don't know, and don't tell them when you're going to be away from your home.
Also watch out for: Unexpected checks that arrive just in time for your shopping (they're bogus and will be accompanied by a request for you to forward part of the cash in a Moneygram); products arrive that you didn't order (you'll be contacted later by someone who asks you to forward it -- it's probably stolen and you're the middle-person).
Holiday Scams Out and About The main scam: The holiday season is just about the most popular time for special events -- shows, sports, concerts and other events -- so it's a great opportunity for ticket forgers or bogus ticket sales.
These often show up online (auction and classified type ads), in newspapers and, in the case of forged tickets, outside the venue itself.
How to avoid it: Ideally, buy only from venues or recognized agencies. If you do buy from an individual, get their phone number and home address and check them out. If you can, find out where they work. Check online and with the venue if there have been any reports of forged or bogus sales.
Also watch out for: Perhaps the most annoying scam is the legal one: the high-pressure sale. It can happen anywhere -- the mall, the car lot, over the phone and even in the salon. You've been through it before: "No, really, you have to have this mousse so your hair will sit correctly. I'll just add it onto your bill," or "We have only two of these carrot juicers left. After these are gone, I won't have any more," and "This is a special price just for you, so take it or leave it because I am just about to close up shop." Rest assured, there are lots of carrot juicers in the world, and if one person is willing to give you a "good deal" on it, someone else will too. Go home, research the product and prices online, and save yourself from paying too much.
Other Holiday-Related Scams The main scam: What better gift could you give someone than the symbol of the first Christmas -- a star? Various companies claim you can name a star for between $20 and $150. These companies will send you a certificate with the name and location of "your star" and promise that your star's name will be in a star registry.
Here's the problem: Stars are named by the
International Astronomical Union -- and they aren't selling. Names for stars (and most are given numbers) are assigned according to the internationally accepted rules of the IAU. Anyone else who claims to be able to name stars has no more legal standing than your neighbor's Rottweiler. When they say your star is going into a "registry," they mean whatever registry they made up -- not the official catalog that is kept by the IAU and used by all astronomers.
According to the
IAU's Web site, "such 'names' have no formal or official validity whatever. Like true love and many of the other best things in human life, the beauty of the night sky is not for sale, but is free for all to enjoy."
How to avoid it: If you want to give someone a star, save yourself some money: Go to the closest planetarium, pick a star you think is pretty and ask the astronomer for the coordinates. Then go home and make your own certificate on your own computer.
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