The holiday season is an active time for scammers. Here are a few scams to watch out for this time of year.
Grandchild in Trouble
Seniors are often the target of scammers. One of the most widely attempted scams has them calling and pretending to someone’s grandchild. The scammer will say they’re on vacation somewhere and are in trouble. They need their grandparent to post bail or send money to help, but their parents can’t know. Make sure this is really a family member and not a scam. Call your family to see if everyone is safe at home.
Fraudulent Charities
Scam artists want to get money from you any way they can. Using phishing emails or phone calls they’ll pose as a charity worker collecting donations. One way to avoid this scam is to go right to the source. Check out the charity’s website if you want to donate. Never click on a link you don’t recognize or give you information over the phone.
Porch Pirates
There are people who will go right up to your house and steal a package that was just delivered. Just because you get a photo confirmation that a package was delivered doesn’t mean it will be there when you get home. Consider installing a doorbell camera or a package drop box. If you have family close by, ask them to come over and pick up the package while you’re not at home.
Gift Card Scams
A popular item to buy during the holidays is a gift card. They make great gifts for friends and loved ones. Make sure the cards you purchase have not been tampered with. A scammer will scratch off the coating to reveal the PIN on the card and then cover it back up. Once the card is purchased they have access to use the funds on the card. Avoid this scam by looking closely at any card you want to purchase, or just buy one online.
Stay informed with SeaComm’s Fraud Center. As your credit union, we want to keep you and your finances safe. That’s why we created our Fraud Center, which includes valuable resources to help educate and empower our members to protect their assets and identities. Click here to get started.