Stay Ready: Avoid Holiday Scams

The holidays are here, and so are the scammers. Cybercriminals are lurking around every corner, waiting to steal your personal information and hard-earned money. The best way to protect yourself is by educating yourself. Keep reading to learn how to practice good cyber hygiene this holiday season.

According to the Internet Crime Complaint’s 2021 Report, non-payment and non-delivery scams cost Americans more than $337 million. Credit card scams cost them another $173 million. A non-payment scam is when a seller ships goods or provides services but never receives payment. Non-delivery is when a buyer pays for goods or services online and never receives them. We hear horror stories every year, but how do we make sure we don’t become a statistic?

The best course of action is to question everything. Always do your research and pay attention to what you’re interacting with digitally before you start clicking and giving out your card number, passwords, and sensitive information. Phishing is one of the biggest threats to your personal and financial information. “Almost 95% of breaches are due to some kind of phishing attack that happened prior,” says Roy Ross, our Chief Information Security Officer. Always check website URLs to make sure they’re legitimate sites. A telltale sign of a suspicious website is if the web address is missing HTTPS. Beware of phishing emails, texts, and phone calls. If you don’t recognize a number, do a Google search and see if it’s connected to a legitimate business. Examine the address that an email is sent from before you click on links and attachments. If it looks suspicious, it's most likely a scam.

When making purchases, research the seller before you commit to buying. Read site reviews on their website and other sites. The seller could plant fake positive reviews on their website to cover up any evidence of a scam. Never wire money to any seller or pay with a prepaid gift card. Scammers will ask you for gift card information and drain the funds. Another pro tip is to never shop on public wifi. Never make any purchases or transactions on Wi-Fi that is not secure. Hackers wait to capture your information when you send it through these networks.

Another good cyber habit is to stay on top of your credit card statements. Keep your receipts and compare them to your statements. If you notice suspicious activity, dispute it with your credit card company immediately. Keep your eye out for fake charities and fake freebies. Vet out organizations before you give them your money. Avoid social media ads or messages that say you won a free iPhone or other hot items. A good rule of thumb is that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

“It’s important for everybody to know how to protect themselves when they're online,” says Ross. No one is exempt from coming across scams, but you can always learn how to protect yourself from falling victim. When you educate yourself on what to look for and how to respond, you prevent hackers from stealing your holiday spirit (and private information)!

You know how to protect yourself, but is your business safe this holiday season? #StayReady and #SecureEverything with CYBERCOMMANDER. Contact us for more information.

By Gia Tims

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