Holiday shoppers can fall victim to con artists looking to make a quick buck. Today, cyber scammers have more ways to divert your trust and your dollars than ever before. Below are several red flags to help identify and hopefully prevent problems during your online shopping.
Steer clear of cyber-trouble this year by looking out for these scams during the holidays:
Marketplace mishaps – In addition to eBay, online marketplaces like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace have been growing in popularity. Whether you are listing an item for a long-distance sale or scheduling a local meetup, take every precaution possible. For long-distance buys, only use trusted marketplaces that have protection programs and a strong history of positive seller ratings.
Low-price bait – Online sellers will sometimes list an out-of-stock item to lure you in, then pressure you to buy a higher priced item after you have found out it is no longer available. Do not fall for it.
Gift card phishing – Scammers send you an email that looks like it’s from someone you know. It has a link to a gift card from a legit store. But, when you click the link, you get phished and your computer or phone gets hacked. Only open gift card links from people you personally know and have given you the heads up to expect a code.
Fake charities – With the rise of crowdfunded payment sites like GoFundMe, it is easier than ever for fraudsters to get people to donate fake causes during the holidays. Check out charities on sites like CharityNavigator.org and CharityWatch.org before participating.
Delivery scams – If you get a notice for an unsuccessful delivery that redirects you to a website or to a phone number then asks you to share personal financial data, be cautious. Scammers have been known to create fake, but very convincing delivery notices in an attempt to harvest your credit card information. Authentic postal service notices will not ask you for this kind of information.
Original post from Spiceworks
If you have any questions or concerns that you may have gotten a scam-like email, don’t hesitate to call us and we can have one of our remote techs take a look to help put you at ease.
Frankenstein Computers has been taking care of our happy clients since 1999. We specialize in IT Support, Cyber Security, IT Service, IT Security MAC repair, PC Repair, Virus Removal, and much more. Give us a call for remote support or drop in to drop off.