How to Detect and Prevent Holiday Scams

November 21, 2022

How to Detect and Prevent Holiday Scams

 

Each year, thousands of people become victims of holiday scams. According to the FBI, in 2021, Americans lost over $6.9 billion to fraud, including $337 million in online shopping and non-delivery scams.

Our goal is to keep our customers aware of the current scams being used to extort personal information.

Most Common Holiday Scams of 2022

Notification texts of missed deliveries: Scammers send fake text messages claiming that a package has been delayed or that you need to pay a delivery fee.

Phishing emails or texts from trustworthy companies: Scammers send phishing messages claiming to be from companies like Amazon or Apple claiming that your account has been hacked.

Social media ads: Ads on social media platforms to try to get you to go to fake stores that steal your money, credit card details, or personal information.

Fraudulent charities: Fraudsters create fake charities or GoFundMe campaigns to trick you into sending money or sharing your personal information.

Gift card scams: Buying and selling fraudulent gift cards or tricking you into giving up the numbers on the backs, since gift cards are almost impossible to trace (usually by impersonating your bank or government agencies).

Holiday travel and online airfare scams: Scammers are targeting travelers with fake flight-booking websites, fraudulent flight cancellation emails and sudden price increases.

 

Avoiding Online Holiday Scams

  • Always look for warning signs that you’re on a fake website— such as poor spelling, strange formatting, bad design, and lack of contact information
  • Be vigilant of unfamiliar calls, emails and texts
  • Don’t share personal information with unfamiliar companies or websites
  • Use credit cards, not debit cards for online purchases
  • Only buy gift cards from trusted companies
  • Secure your online accounts with strong passwords and two-factor authentication
  • Limit personal information on Social Media
  • Monitor your banking activity for transactions to verify purchases are authorized by you
  • Consider additional protection; utilize the CardValet app to freeze your debit card between usage

 

Parke Bank will never ask for any personal information via email or text message. If you suspect you have received a fraudulent email or text, please contact us at 1.866.PARKEBK (727.5325).