Ellen Phillips It seems like the holiday season brings a lot of fraudulent activity. Aside from fake emails and scammer phone calls, what are some other "offers" we should beware? – Cindy Careful
Dear Ms. Careful: You are so right! This time of year brings all the cheating scammers out of the woodwork, ready to prey on our holiday emotions. According to AARP, consumers are much more likely to fall for the tricksters than at any other time. Avoid "seasonal shopping ho-ho-hoaxes" by avoiding the following:
Package theft. We see more and more on the news these days about thieves stealing packages left on front porches; naturally, with the invasion of package deliveries this month, we need eyes wide open for prevention. Statistically, approximately 23 million recipients don't receive their packages because of a single thief or a gang who scouts out homes or follows UPS or other delivery trucks. Find other options when you order presents so the recipient actually enjoys opening the gift. For instance, arrange for a signature requirement upon receipt. Another solution is to send packages to the giftees' workplace or even to the local pickup location operated by the carrier. Amazon delivers to an Amazon Locker location (free service and about 2,000 secure locations in larger cities) and recipients can retrieve their deliveries by using a pickup code. Of course, if you wish to prevent thieves from scrooging your Christmas as well as protecting your home, spend a couple of hundred bucks and put up cameras that relay signals and pictures to your phone.
Fake shopping sites and apps. Sham websites are everywhere. Because they offer great prices on items advertised on social media (not to be confused with legitimates companies), emails, and search engines, what looks to be a great offering usually turns out to be a cheap imitation or, worse, nothing at all, especially after giving these crooks your credit card information or your computer ending up with attached malware. As always, I urge readers to check the address on the browser; if the "s" on https is missing, the site isn't secure nor is it authentic. Also, beware misspelled words, such as "Tifany instead of Tiffany and words like 'deals,' 'sales,' or 'discounts'" as part of the address' URL. Run for the hills if no physical address is offered and only a P.O. box; furthermore, don't trust anyone who doesn't offer returns and who requires wire transfer or prepaid credit cards as payment. The best way to discover the legitimacy of such sites is to go online to archive.org; similarly, at whois.net, find out where a company is located and other verification claims.
Free merchandise. The holiday season is a prime one for these never-to-be-believed ploys. Malware installation, surveys to steal personal info for identity theft, and a set-up for future scams may be inevitable if we click on. Again, check the manufacturer's or provider's website; if that offer isn't there, assume it's a big, ole scam. Too, watch out for "free" holiday-themed music, screen savers, and the like; some are designed by the intelligent creeps to steal personal data, passwords, and files from our devices.
Gift card thievery. While major stores have racks of gift cards from which to select, it's always safer to buy the card from the retailer or from the store that issues it. Sam Scammer may have tampered with cards on display racks by opening the packaging, copying the numbers, scratching off the security code, and replacing the card. "Sam's" next step is to call the issuer's toll-free number to learn the activation date and its amount and then to cash it in. Avoid online auction offers; rather, check out online gift card exchanges such as GiftCardGranny.com, Carpool.com, and Raise.com. These reputable sites buy unwanted cards and sell them at discount.
Contact Ellen Phillips at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.