This holiday season, more than $800 billion dollars will be spent on gifts, deliveries, and donations. Additionally, due to COVID-19, online purchases are likely to account for most national holiday shopping. As massive amounts of money will be transferred over the Internet, scammers will attempt to tap into the cash flow.
With cyber criminals constantly devising new tactics to steal money and compromise sensitive information — especially during the holiday season — knowing about some trending scams will help you avoid them:
n Package delivery scams. Posing as a delivery company, scammers will send a fake delivery notification to a person via text message or email. They will claim that the person has missed the delivery of a package or must pay a delivery fee to get the package. These notifications could contain a phishing link that the scammers want the person to click on.
n Charity scams. Criminals will try to capitalize on the holiday spirit of giving with falsified, heartwarming stories to trick or guilt readers into donating money to fraudulent charities. When considering a donation, research the charity and its specific cause to find out exactly how your contribution will be used.
As always, practice caution while shopping online, buy only from reputable sources, and donate only to reputable charities. For more information about holiday scams, visit the FBI Scam and Safety page at fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/holiday-scams.
— Corporate Information Security Office,
Chief Information Security Officer
and Digital Solutions, 12-16-21
