Watch for Holiday Sales Scams

It’s the holiday season so that means scammers and malicious individuals are about to work double time to take your hard-earned money. In this article we are going to go over some ways scammers are preying on us. The first is incorrect website domains. For example, we are attempting to visit Amazon.com but instead we type “Anazon.com.” That one error can be the difference between landing on the correct page and being on the incorrect page a scammer is hosting. Something scammers neglect when making these fake look-alike websites is to add “about” or “contact” pages. 

Scammers will also run ads on Instagram and Facebook offering luxury items for significant discounts. Yes, the holidays are the time for discounts but I can promise you 90% off a Louis Vuitton bag is not realistic. Soon we will start to see the resurgence of delivery text message scams telling us USPS or FedEx couldn’t confirm our address and we need to click a link to verify. Never click suspicious links. Shipping companies do not reach out on text unless you give them permission for that individual order to receive text updates. Lastly, remember anything having to do with free gift cards for popular brands or discounts for purchasing in crypto are also false. The last bit of advice is to trust your instincts. If something feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable just leave it and go back to safety.