MarketWatch.com:
Jennifer Waters
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — ‘Tis the season for scammers to shop too, and the bad guys are stepping up their game, taking advantage of consumers through traditional rip-off methods — and some new schemes too.
“Most of these scams we see all year, but they become much more prominent this time of year because of all the holiday hustle and bustle,” says Robert Siciliano, a security expert for McAfee, the online security technology firm. In the flurry of store-hopping and cyber shopping, we tend to forget stuff, like credit cards and packages at cash registers. We leave exposed gifts in the front seat of a car and purchase products on websites we’ve never visited (or worse yet, have never heard of).
The fraudsters are out there, ready to pounce on the vulnerability — due to the overall exhaustion and anxiety — that the happy holidays can bring on. Keep your guard up and consider this your scam alert tip sheet:
Gift-card scam
The Better Business Bureau says this one is “back with a vengeance” this year. You can be duped in at least two ways: through an email, text message or social-media post announcing you a winner of a popular retail gift card. But when you follow the link — and you never should — you’re directed to a site that is a remarkable clone of the real thing. But when you give up personal information like your email, birth date and favorite color, you’re directed off the bogus site to a credit-card application, and the fraudster has what he wants — your information. You can also get hoodwinked by buying bogus card online from third parties. “Your best option is to buy right from the cashier behind the counter,” Siciliano says. Even then, make sure the PIN code on the back hasn’t been scratched off, an indication that it’s been hacked by someone in the store.
Package-delivery scam
This one comes via email, seemingly from a legitimate delivery company, complete with a phony tracking number and a note about a delivery error. There’s an attachment with a supposed delivery label that you’re told to take to the nearest delivery office to get the package. Open it, and you’ll be subjecting your computer — or smartphone — to malware and virus attacks, the BBB warns.
SEE THE REST HERE
Jennifer Waters
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — ‘Tis the season for scammers to shop too, and the bad guys are stepping up their game, taking advantage of consumers through traditional rip-off methods — and some new schemes too.
“Most of these scams we see all year, but they become much more prominent this time of year because of all the holiday hustle and bustle,” says Robert Siciliano, a security expert for McAfee, the online security technology firm. In the flurry of store-hopping and cyber shopping, we tend to forget stuff, like credit cards and packages at cash registers. We leave exposed gifts in the front seat of a car and purchase products on websites we’ve never visited (or worse yet, have never heard of).
The fraudsters are out there, ready to pounce on the vulnerability — due to the overall exhaustion and anxiety — that the happy holidays can bring on. Keep your guard up and consider this your scam alert tip sheet:
Gift-card scam
The Better Business Bureau says this one is “back with a vengeance” this year. You can be duped in at least two ways: through an email, text message or social-media post announcing you a winner of a popular retail gift card. But when you follow the link — and you never should — you’re directed to a site that is a remarkable clone of the real thing. But when you give up personal information like your email, birth date and favorite color, you’re directed off the bogus site to a credit-card application, and the fraudster has what he wants — your information. You can also get hoodwinked by buying bogus card online from third parties. “Your best option is to buy right from the cashier behind the counter,” Siciliano says. Even then, make sure the PIN code on the back hasn’t been scratched off, an indication that it’s been hacked by someone in the store.
Package-delivery scam
This one comes via email, seemingly from a legitimate delivery company, complete with a phony tracking number and a note about a delivery error. There’s an attachment with a supposed delivery label that you’re told to take to the nearest delivery office to get the package. Open it, and you’ll be subjecting your computer — or smartphone — to malware and virus attacks, the BBB warns.
SEE THE REST HERE