Holiday Fraud

Many consider the holidays the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also a wonderful time for scammers. Scammers hope they can catch you off guard with your focus on the holiday season. With people searching for deals, a scammer hopes to offer a "deal" that will entice you to give up your personal information. Here are a few common holiday scams.

• Relative Imposter Scam – This is also known as the "grandparent scam." With this scam, the fraudster poses as an immediate family member and acts as if they are in trouble and need immediate financial help. They insist you send money right away and request that you don't tell anyone.
• Charity Fraud – This scam has multiple layers because it can be done online, by phone, or in person. In this scam, someone pretends to be a charity and requests a donation. A common red flag is that the person will be very pushy. Be sure to remove yourself from the situation if something isn't sitting right.
• Gift Card Phishing – While gift cards are a trendy gift, watch out for gift card phishing scams. Scammers will try to deceive you with gift card emails that are too good to be true. The fraudster might try to entice you with a link to a gift card. Just one click can put your personal information at risk.

If you have been scammed, or believe you were, report it to your local police and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

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