On the first day of Christmas, a scammer sent to me, a promotion for gift cards and a suspicious link to claim a free prize. While the holidays are all about giving and receiving, scammers take this time of year for chaos and disruption.
Scams artists have been honing their skills to mimic sites that we trust. It can be hard, even for the tech savvy among us, to spot them. Scams can lead to the loss of significant savings by unknowingly granting access to our bank accounts and credit cards. It can spoil your Christmas plans, halt vacation time, and lead to creditors knocking at your door. Plain and simple, it is financial abuse, and seniors are frequent targets.
Here are some common scams:
- Misleading social media ads. Before you click on an ad or product in your social media feed, do a quick search, and read customer reviews. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has reviews for millions of products. If they do not show up in their list, it could be fake.
- Social media gift exchanges. If it's too good to be true, it just might be fake. While the idea of winning a year supply of wine sounds like it is worth the hassle of forwarding to 10 of your closest friends, beware. Not only is this a pyramid scheme (which are illegal), it's annoying to boot! Scammers are mining for your information, and you can unwittingly expose your friends and family. Watch out for the secret Santa gift exchange, offers for $10 gift cards, or prizes for your pets.
- Holiday apps. Hundreds of cute and innocent-looking apps flood our devices each year. Take a moment to investigate before you download. Have a look at the app's privacy policy. Free apps might contain malware that scans your device for personal information. If the app has more ads than game, it counts as suspicious. Delete it and tell your friends.
- Investments. Cryptocurrency fraud, where scammers use fake websites and call you, was the #1 type of fraud in Canada in 2023. If you are being pressured to let go of your money to make more money, don't just walk - run away. Do careful research, and take your time on any investment opportunity that comes your way. Scammers might try to pluck at your heartstrings, to make money at your demise. Don't fall for it. Make an appointment with an institution you trust before making an investment decision.
- Free gift cards. If the price is right, look twice. Offers of free gift cards that land in your feed, as a pop up, or in your email, are a scammer's way of gathering sensitive information in bulk. If you have 'randomly won' anything at all, sorry to say, but, no you haven't. Sometimes, free gifts are offered in conjunction with an exciting new product, only to be a knockoff intending to knock YOU down. Do not proceed or click on any links. Report it as spam, and never look back.
- Fake charities. This one hits us where it hurts! December is an important time of year for charities. Holiday campaigns and fundraisers support the work we do at Unison all year long. Donate to charities that you're familiar with, and be wary of organizations you have never heard of. The Canada Revenue Agency contains a vetted list of verified charities. If a name like Poor Sick Baby Koalas (not a real charity) doesn't show up on that list, your money is best sent to non-profits that will advance your generosity to benefit others (do we shamelessly promote our own donation page here? Why not!).
The world of online shopping has made it easier than ever to buy cool things for ourselves, our friends, and our families. By paying close attention to who we are buying from, we can save ourselves from the misery of falling victim to a scam.
