The full swing of the holidays is just a few days away, but the scam artists are just getting started. It is time to be extra vigilant to avoid getting scammed especially when holiday shopping. Below are some of the most common holiday scams to watch out for in 2019.
Loan Scams
Holidays usually means spending a lot of money. Loan scams prey on people who need extra cash during the holidays. These fraudsters offer loans to people who need cash and then they used the personal information provided to demand payments. This is why authorities are urging people to only seek loans from established providers.
Online Shopping Scams
Online deals are usually offered by brands and stores around this time of the year but scammers have found a way to take advantage of the holiday online shopping rush as well. They usually offer once-in-a-lifetime deals that later turn out to be for counterfeits or for an item that does not exist. No matter what the rush is, it is still better to buy from trusted stores that use credit card protection and payment protection. More so, stay away from deals that sound too good to be true.
Sim Swapping
Incidences of identity theft are becoming more sophisticated with fraudsters now sending phishing emails that look like they are from valid network providers which tell the victim that they?ve won some holiday contest. The victim will then be asked to provide personal details to claim the nonexistent prize which the fraudsters will use to take over the victim?s mobile account. Once the mobile account has been taken over, it is only a matter of time to gain access to emails, social media accounts, as well as bank accounts via the hacked mobile number. Sometimes the initial message can come as a text or email from the service provider so it is best to call the service provider using another phone to verify if the message or email is real.
More Phone Scams
Phone scams are forever evolving and becoming more sinister. The CRA Scam is one example, with the fraudsters claiming to be from Canada Revenue Agency and threatening the victim with an arrest for supposedly delayed payments or back taxes. A new scam claims that the call is from Service Canada and asks the victims for the victim?s social security number or SIN. Once compromised, this is a scam that is very challenging to recover from. The fraudster gains access to very personal information such as the person?s name, date of birth, and more. Later they will demand cash and ask the victim to deposit in a safe account. It should be noted that Service Canada won?t call people to ask for personal details same as Canada Revenue Agency.
Do you need help uncovering a scam or want to protect your personal data online? We can help with both! Our private investigation services are constantly evolving and now include fraud prevention and protection. Contact us at Haywood Hunt to find out what we can do for you!
