December 1, 2022 | Article | 3 min Personal insights
The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it, comes new fraud and scams that can impact you.
Around this time of the year, there is an increase in deposit fraud, job scams, account takeover, and counterfeit check activity that can involve your bank accounts – but there are other scams to be aware of, too.
As your trusted financial partner, our team’s goal is to protect your information because if it matters to you, it matters to us. Here is some guidance on common scams and the latest schemes to keep top of mind this holiday season.
Don’t set your table with a honey-baked scam, protect yourself from common holiday schemes with tips from our team!
- BRING PACKAGES INSIDE
Stealing delivered packages is more common during the holidays. Bring deliveries indoors to avoid theft of giving the impressions that you’re out of town.
- DON’T OVERSHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Are you leaving home for a holiday trip? Don’t post this information publicly; be aware of your social media privacy settings!
- DON’T OPEN SUSPICIOUS EMAILS OR CLICK LINKS
There is an increase in phishing scams around the holidays. Remember, reputable businesses, financial institutions, the IRS, and credit card providers will never ask for personal information in an email or by calling you. Also, don’t believe all offers – Be wary of “too good to be true” ads, giveaways, and contests.
- AVOID CHARITY SCAMS
The holidays are an important time to give to those in need, but be careful – Watch for spoofed phone numbers, copycat organization names, and fake websites. Don’t give credit card information over the phone if they call you, always contact the charity directly to donate.
- GIFT CARDS
Be careful of phone calls, websites or social media sites that offer gift cards deals or request payment in gift cards.
- USE GOOD PASSWORD PRACTICES
We know, it can be tempting to use the same easy password for multiple retailers. Use strong, unique passwords for your online accounts – Don’t use the same password on more than one site or the same passwords you use for your bank accounts.
- TRAVELING? USE CAUTION ON PUBLIC WI-FI
Only connect to known WiFi networks – Beware of WiFi network names that have typos, extra characters, or no password protection. Airports are a known target!
- SELLING SOMETHING? BE CAREFUL
Fraudsters pretend to purchase an item only to send a fake check and ask for a refund of the "accidental" overpayment; by the time the victim realizes the check is bad they’ve already sent the funds from their account.