During the holiday season, our attention is often limited as we focus our time on family and the many activities that come with this time of year. Scammers know that you may be more distracted than usual and are getting savvier than ever at finding ways to steal your information and money.
One thing you can ask yourself, “Is it too good to be true?” If the answer is “yes” then it probably is. For example, if you get a message from someone you don’t know offering to give you money, it’s likely a scam, even if they tell you to buy them something (like gift cards) and keep the rest. Typically, the funds they gave you are fraudulent, and their payment will not stay in your account, leaving you in a financial shortfall.
You may also ask yourself “Does this make sense?”. If you receive a message asking for payment of something that you did not buy that asks for payment, simply report the message as spam and delete it.
With the holidays coming up, we wanted to share four of the most popular scams to help you protect yourself!
Mail & Package Scams
The shipping label scam is a new way for fraudsters to attempt to collect your information. A fraudster sends a text or email telling you that your package cannot be delivered due to the address on file and shares a link to fix it. This is a phishing attempt, and the fraudster is hoping that you will click the link. At this time of year, people are receiving more packages than usual and at first glance you may think the email is legit. If you did order something and have items on the way, be sure to go directly to the source and check the confirmation email from the retailer that you originally ordered from. The best thing you can do when you receive a phishing email as described above is to report it as junk/spam and delete it.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers some great ways to help be alert and protect yourself and your packages when you are not home. Informed Delivery is a free service that sends a daily email showing you the mail that is arriving that day at your home. If you are travelling, you can request a mail hold for no charge to make sure it is not sitting at your home. When ordering from a service like Amazon, there are also options to pick up your packages rather than having them delivered to your home. This is a safe alternative to being vulnerable to porch pirates who prey on homes with packages sitting outside during the day.
Online Shopping Scams
Speaking of packages, when you’re online shopping, make sure that you only make purchases from reputable websites that you trust and use credit or debit cards to make those purchases. Paypal, Apple Pay, and other mobile wallets that you use frequently can also help keep your information safe and make for a smooth and safe transaction. If someone is asking you to pay via gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or any other non-traditional method, it may be a scam and your “purchase” will end up costing you more in headaches and stress. A good way to see if a website is legit is to look for a lock symbol next to the URL, and https at the beginning of the site URL. You can also look at where your items are shipping from, and the time expected for delivery. Make sure that if an item is coming from outside of the US, especially if it is a popular item that is hard to find, that it is authentic. Often, this time of year you may see many social media ads for merchandise from sites that are not legit and may be collecting your money or information and sending you nothing or a counterfeit item.
Loan Scams
Looking to get a little extra money to cover holiday expenses? Be careful of who you get a loan from. Many websites may look legitimate, but fake companies can end up with your information and steal money from you. Many online loan companies offer you the convenience of an “instant” loan, but their terms and conditions are almost set up to force you to fail and begin a negative cycle of borrowing to keep paying off those loans. If you find yourself in a financial shortfall, talk to us first. Park offers many ways to help you over the holidays, from skipping a payment on your current personal or auto loans to our Quick Cash loans, as well as holiday loans.
Charity Scams
This time of year, we see more appeals from charitable organizations. If you have it in your budget to make donations to charities, make sure that they are reputable. If you’re making a donation on their website using a card, make sure to confirm that you are making a one-time donation vs a recurring donation.
As a reminder, Park will never contact you to get personal information (account numbers, social security numbers, passwords, PINS, etc..). If you feel that you may have accidentally given that information out to a scammer, please reach out to us so we can help you.
If you’re not sure, ASK! We’re here to help you keep your finances safe!
