Holiday Scams
The holidays are coming up, the season of shopping, giving, family, and generosity. Unfortunately there are those who would take advantage of this joyous mood.
HOLIDAY SCAMS
Scams happen all year round, but as we head into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, they become more prominent and prolific.
A large number of these scams will come in as an email, claiming to be from a bank, a reputable business, charities, or any other ‘official’ source. Usually however, if you look at the address you received the email from, they will be from a personal address, a misspelt variation on an actual address, or sometimes a seemingly random jumble of characters. Other tells would be the links and/or downloads. Hover over a link to check where it’s sending you instead of clicking on it, if you do not recognize the destination, DO NOT click on it. And never, EVER, download a file from an email unless you personally know exactly what it is. These emails can range from looking very professional, to just a couple lines of text with a link, but always check them first, you should not blindly trust any email.
There are many other types of scams out there other than just these email ones. The amount of scam calls requesting money rise during this giving season. Common during this time of giving are for charities and non-profits to solicit donations. However, just because the caller claims they are representing a charity, doesn’t always mean that’s the case. It is, of course, always acceptable to be generous and donate to charities, but there is absolutely nothing wrong to take the time and confirm who exactly it is that you are giving money to. You should always check a charity’s name, address, and phone number. Once you’ve verified the charity, go ahead and either directly mail in your donation to the charity’s address, or go through their official website instead of relying on a supposed middle-man over the phone.
Another common scam that is usually aimed directly at the elderly, is ‘the grandparent scam.’ Someone pretending to be a loved one, usually a grandchild, will call, they’ve landed themselves in a bit of trouble, whether legal, medical, financial, or etc. and will ask you money to help them out. Remember, money is very seldom an immediate concern in these situations, despite what they will try to convince you otherwise. Take your time and do your due diligence by contacting your loved ones directly using the numbers you previously had for them. Of course, the call won’t always be from a loved one, sometimes the scammer may just make up any sort of sob story. As a rule of thumb, you should never transfer money to anyone from over the phone, this will protect you the best from these types of scams.
Holiday scams are varied, and some are very cunning, many just prey upon your compassion, and there are many, many more than what we have covered here. Just be cautious, do not click on links, download any files, fill out any personal information, and most of all do not send money out if you cannot verify who it is going to. Stay safe and happy holidays!
Read More:
https://bethanylutheranvillage.org/helping-seniors-avoid-holiday-financial-scams/
https://www.arborcompany.com/blog/holiday-scams-targeting-the-elderly-to-watch-out-for