It is that time of year, when snow, Christmas lights and the sounds of jolly St Nicholas come to town. Putting up Christmas lights, decorating the house for the Christmas festivities is an annual event. All to get in the gift-giving spirit.
Also coming with the holidays are the notorious scammers. They all know “Tis the season to rip people off”. Scammers come in all forms. For the next couple of minutes, let’s look at the different types of scammers and how to avoid them.
The common types of scams include:
- Online purchases
- COVID-19 Scams, rumors, and price gouging,
- Banking scams,
- Telephone scams,
- Census-Related scams,
- Government grants scams,
- Investment scams,
- Lottery and Sweepstakes scams,
- Charity scams,
Online Purchases:
There are so many types of online purchase scams, it is hard to list them all. One example I will list is Facebook marketplace. Recently I was looking for a motorcycle. Saw a nice picture of one with a great price. Even willing to ship and let me ride before payment.
When I started communicating with the seller. They advised me to go to the store and buy eBay debit cards to pay. Give them the numbers and they would send the motorcycle.
Sounds fishy, yes it was a scam. Instead of doing what they asked, I contacted eBay to confirm this practice. eBay confirmed it was a scam. If I had given them the eBay debit card number. I would be out the cash, with no motorcycle.
This is an example of doing your homework before you hand over any money.
Phone scams:
These are the most frequent types of scams, scammers use. They range from fake charities, online shopping, to shipping problems. Have you ever received a call advising there is a problem with your credit purchase? Even when you have not made any purchases. Beware, it may be a phone scam. The call can sound legit. Two things could happen.
Calling back the number you may even talk to a real person. In this case, they are trying to spoof you into giving out personally identifiable information. Your credit card number, or other form of ID, from which they can open fraudulent accounts in your name.
If you think the call is possibly a scam. Do not give out any information. Instead hang up. Find the customer service number on your most recent bill. Call them directly and ask. They advised there is nothing wrong. Let them know someone tried to scam you. They will take the information and forward it to their fraud department.
Ever get a call from an unknown number? The phone rings once, then stops. What happens is, scammers play on your curiosity of wanting the know who called you. The problem is when you call them back. The call goes to a high-cost international number, meaning you will be charged for that call, and the scammer makes money. To avoid this, if I do not recognize the number, I do not call them back. If it is legit, and the person really needs to get hold of me. They will call and leave a message. No message, no callback.
If you happen to answer a call that sounds suspicious. Hang up, since the longer you stay on the call, the more international charges are added to your phone bill.
You can also turn on “International block” if you normally do not receive international calls. This will not stop all international calls but should help some.
In-person scams.
We all see the person standing by the side of the road asking for money. Are hearts goes out to them for their lot in life. We want to help, but how do we know they are really in need of help, or just a scammer?
This is a personal choice if you decide you want to give. I personally give to charitable organizations, who can assist not with just a meal, but counselling. If you decide not to give. Here are some tips.
- Don’t ignore beggars if you can; nod, smile, and communicate with compassion.
- Explain that you don’t have any money, or that you’ve only got credit cards on you.
- If a beggar becomes aggressive, do not hesitate to alert the police, run, or solicit help from others nearby.
Phishing:
Phishing is where the scammer is using email or a text message to scam. Understanding what Phishing is, first steps to avoiding them. Like phone scams, the scammer is trying to gather personal information on you to do bad things with your information. Usually trying to get your account information or password.
Technical support scammers are great at this. They prey on you, making you believe you have a security violation, or some other form of technical trouble.
How do you avoid these types of scams? Deal with people you can trust. Never use a non-solicited pop up ad to fix your computer. There are plenty of trusted people and sites you can go to, if you think you are having a technical issue.
In all cases, verify before accepting any type of support. No reputable organization will ask for your personal password. They have tools that connect, but only when you grant them access to your computer, phone or other device.
Emergency scams:
Being a grandparent myself. I have gotten “Emergency” scams. These scams usually target parents, grandparents, or other family members. Someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a child or grandchild in trouble or the friend of a family member who is in trouble and urges the victim to wire money immediately to help with an emergency.
- Never send money to anyone you do not know and trust. Confirm the person’s identity before taking any steps to help.
- Ask the person questions that only your loved ones would know and be able to answer.
- Before you send any money, verify the story with someone else in your family or circle of friends.
These simple steps can help avoid you being scammed.
In general, scammers are always looking for new inventive ways to take you hard earned money. If you’re a senior living on a fixed income. The loss of funds could be devastating. By doing your homework, you can avoid a loss.
Disclaimer:
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