‘Tis the season to be jolly – and careful!

 

Last week I was on the receiving end of a personal record. And not one that I would brag to family and friends about.

To wit: 12 of the 15 calls I received over a two-day span were your basic spam – likely come-ons for auto warranty renewals or ads for replacement windows - and no less than seven emails were obviously textbook phishing expeditions. I sort of guessed when one email came my way via Banc of America, seeking to verify my login credentials. To top it off, the bank’s signature red and blue logo appeared as a blurry shade of black and white. Another one insisted that I had not collected on a $250 refund that was due (news to me!) and that they just required my Social Security number to verify that I was indeed the deserving party of this unexpected largesse.

That was about one step more sophisticated than those enticing multi-million-dollar “business opportunities” you receive courtesy of a generous entrepreneur from Nigeria.

But alas, with the joy and the family camaraderie the holiday season brings, it also brings an exponential increase in scams according to experts.

Along those lines, I came across a number of articles warning consumers about some of the typical fraudulent actions and simple protection steps.

1.      Do not click on suspicious or unfamiliar links – see the aforementioned Banc of America email. Be especially vigilant if said email asks that you update passwords or account information. You may unknowingly be unloading malware to your devices.

2.      If you are shopping online verify those from whom you are purchasing. Check the website’s URL for security – i.e., it should contain a https in the web address. Also check for reviews. If there are none, click out ASAP.

3.      Using caution with payment types. Never, ever wire money directly to a seller and do not use pre-paid gift cards. In many cases the seller will ask for the PIN and then abscond with the funds. And obviously, check your monthly credit card statement for any suspicious transactions. Like the time I received a statement for $5,000 that included a mysterious $3,900 shopping spree at Bloomingdales.

4.      Track the shipping process. Always ensure you have a tracking number to allow monitoring of the delivery process. And then there is always the “porch pirates” who always seem to make an appearance this time of year.

Here’s to safe and fraud free holidays!