Beware Of Scams This Christmas

Oh dear. This is not a cheery Christmas article! It’s certainly not the most exciting article we’ve ever written, but we think it carries an important message, one that applies all year round. But because this time of year can be a bit hectic, we decided to bundle it in with our Christmas posts.

The holiday season is a time of joy, giving, and unfortunately, an uptick in online scams. As we gear up for the festivities and over-indulgence, cyber-criminals are working overtime to exploit the holiday spirit for their own gain. From deceptive emails to fake parcel notifications, the threat is diverse, and it’s crucial to stay vigilant and informed about the various scams that could threaten your online security and financial well-being.

Below, we’ve briefly outlined some of the scams to be aware of. It’s a real quick overview, intended to enlighten you to some of the risks – you may want to look in to these further. In general, it’s good to be suspicious of everything, and to have a heightened sense of awareness this time of year.

Phishing Emails from Fake Retailers – A common scam involves receiving emails that appear to be from well-known retailers, offering enticing discounts or exclusive deals. These emails often contain links that lead to fake websites designed to steal your personal information. They look official, and without close inspection they can pas off as the real deal. Christmas being a time of year when you might reasonably expect emails from retailers who you shop with means this time of year makes it harder to spot the genuine amongst the fake emails. A good rule to have is never click on links in unsolicited emails – You can find the information you need by going directly to the retailer’s website.

Additionally, be aware of emails or ads claiming you’ve won a gift card or offering steep discounts on gift cards. These are often ploys to get you to share personal information or download malicious software.

Parcel Delivery Scams – Be wary of emails or text messages claiming to be from delivery services. Cybercriminals may use fake delivery notifications to trick you into clicking malicious links or sharing sensitive information. Of course, this time of year, there’s a good chance you are expecting deliveries, so even if you are expecting it, be wary. It is best to go directly to the website of the retailer or delivery company to track deliveries rather than clicking on any links.

Online Resale Marketplaces – Facebook’s Marketplace, Gumtree, eBay, etcetera. Online marketplaces where people resell goods also harbour scammers and fraudsters. That low price for the latest Xbox or iPhone is too good to be true. And it works the other way too. If you’re selling an item, there will always be some unscrupulous soul looking to con you. Keep your wits about you, and think things through.

Charity Donation Frauds – Scammers take advantage of the festive season by sending phishing emails pretending to be from reputable organisations. Verify the legitimacy of any charity before making a donation to ensure your money goes to a genuine cause (or, as we stated earlier, don’t click on links in unsolicited emails)

We have many local charities we link to on NorfolkPlaces, so if you’re looking to donate this is a good way to find out how to donate.

E-card Scams – Receiving an e-card from an unknown (or even an known) sender may seem harmless, but some cybercriminals use these digital greetings to deliver malware or capture personal information. Avoid clicking on links in e-cards unless you can verify the sender. Even with known senders there’s a risk. The sender may have been duped in to forwarding on an e-card with links to a scammer’s website, or the email from your friend/relative may not be from them. It’s sad when you can’t even trust emails from people you know, especially so when there’s genuine seasonal  sentiment.

Social Media Gift Exchange Schemes – This was a new one to us when we started researching for this article. You’ve heard of Secret Santa, right? Well, now the criminals have found a way to dupe people with an online gift exchanges through social media. It sounds like the scam is sold as a “pay-it-forward” version of Secret Santa. Sounds fun, right? Well, in reality you may end up  being  tricked in to giving your personal details and potentially ending up out of pocket after paying for or sending a gift and not getting anything in return. Be cautious about sharing personal information or financial details with unknown participants. If in doubt, sit it out.

Fake Customer Support Scams – Some scammers set up fake customer support hotlines, especially targeting those who may encounter issues with their online holiday purchases. Take care when searching for customer support numbers online and always use official channels provided by the retailer.

Credit Card Skimming – When making online purchases, be cautious of compromised websites that may use credit card skimming techniques to steal your card details. Ensure that you only enter your payment information on secure and reputable websites.

Travel Scams – As people plan their holiday getaways, scammers may create fake travel websites or send phishing emails offering unbelievable travel deals. Always book through reputable travel agencies and double-check the authenticity of the websites. The website addresses of these fake websites are often very subtly different to a real site they may be impersonating.

Local Police Impersonation in Rural Areas – In rural Norfolk, residents should be aware of a rising trend involving fake police pulling over drivers. If in doubt, drivers can call 101 to verify the legitimacy of the police stop or drive to a well-lit and populated area before stopping.

If you think you’ve had a potential scammer on the phone (including someone claiming to be from the police who you may be suspicious of, the advice from the police is to hang up and either call the police from a different phone, or wait five minutes before you call the police (or anyone) from the phone the scam called was received on. This is because scammers sometime wait on the phone to further their scam.