Protect Yourself From Holiday Scams

4 December 2024
Caution sign saying watch out for holiday scams.

The holiday season is a popular time for scammers to target shoppers and donors. Common scams include:

  • Fraudulent shipping notifications
  • Fake charities
  • Bogus order confirmations
  • Counterfeit online stores with “unbeatable” deals

One of the most common scams during the holidays are package delivery scams. These scams involve fraudulent text messages, emails, or phone calls claiming to be from well-known delivery services such as UPS, FedEx, or USPS. Scammers may inform you of a “failed delivery attempt” or require you to “verify your address” or pay a small fee to release a package. Clicking on links in these messages can take you to websites designed to steal your personal information or install malware on your device.

Other common holiday scams include fake charities, bogus order confirmations, and counterfeit online stores offering “unbeatable” deals. Especially during the holidays, fake charity scams exploit people’s generosity by creating convincing websites or sending emotional appeals through emails and social media, often impersonating well-known charitable organizations. These scams aim to steal your donations and personal information. Similarly, fraudulent order confirmations target shoppers by sending emails or texts claiming there’s an issue with a recent purchase or delivery. These messages include links to phishing websites designed to steal your login credentials or payment details. To protect yourself, always verify the legitimacy of the communication by contacting the organization directly using their official contact information. Fraudulent websites will offer heavily discounted prices on popular items to lure in unsuspecting shoppers. They mimic legitimate retailers and may even appear in sponsored ads on social media or search engines. Once a purchase is made, victims either receive low-quality counterfeit goods or nothing at all, while their payment information is harvested for further scams. 

With most of these scams, they have a sense of urgency or special offer to pressure victims into providing personal or financial information without looking more closely at the details of the message. Scammers are looking to catch people off guard and exploit the busyness of the holiday season.

Take these steps to stay safe

  • Stay alert
  • Never click on links in emails or text messages you weren’t expecting
  • Report phishing to protect yourself and others
  • Use two-factor authentication for increased account security
  • Monitor financial accounts for unauthorized charges 

Victims of cybercrime can report incidents to the Internet Crime Complaint Center website, ic3.gov. For scams or fraud related to the U.S. Mail, you can find more information about reporting here. If you suspect your St. Olaf account is compromised or notice suspicious account activity, please contact the IT Help Desk for assistance.

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