Stay Safe This Holiday Season: Watch Out for These Scams!

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:03:29 -0500

The holiday season is a time of joy, generosity, and celebration. But for scammers, it’s prime time to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals. With the hustle and bustle of gift shopping, planning gatherings, and year-end tasks, it's easy to overlook warning signs. Protect yourself and your loved ones from the grinches of the holidays by staying informed about these common holiday scams:

Top Holiday Scams to Watch For:

Counterfeit Merchandise
That designer handbag or new gaming console advertised at half price might look like a steal, but it could be fake—or worse, non-existent. Scammers often create professional-looking websites with "too-good-to-be-true" deals. After payment, you may receive a poorly made knockoff or nothing at all. Look for spelling errors on the site and check for secure payment methods before purchasing.

Charity Scams
Scammers know people are more likely to donate during the holidays. They impersonate real charities or invent fake ones to tug at your heartstrings. You might get a call, email, or even a door-to-door solicitor asking for contributions. Always verify the charity's legitimacy through trusted sources like the CRA Charity List or CanadaHelps.org.

Fraudulent Gift Cards
Gift cards are a go-to holiday gift, but they’re also a target for scammers. Fraudsters tamper with cards in stores, scratching off the PIN to steal the funds once activated. Buying cards from unofficial sellers (like online marketplaces) is especially risky. Stick to purchasing directly from the retailer and inspect the card packaging before buying. This is something we can see in videos like the one seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ahSx5PTi-EQ?si=upbeDCzMr5w9cmkg

Fake Secret Santa Schemes
Social media "Secret Santa" gift exchanges promise you’ll receive multiple gifts if you send just one, but many are pyramid schemes in disguise. Others ask for your personal details, which could be used for identity theft. Be cautious about any exchange promoted through random social media posts or strangers.

Shipping Frauds
With the rise in online shopping, scammers send fake notifications claiming issues with your package. Emails or texts impersonate companies like Canada Post or UPS, urging you to click a link to "resolve the issue" or pay extra fees. These links often lead to phishing sites or malware. Always track your packages directly through the retailer’s website or the shipping provider’s official site.

Fake Online Shopping Links
Those flashy ads you see on social media promising massive discounts on electronics, clothes, or toys often lead to fraudulent sites. Once you enter your payment information, you might receive counterfeit goods—or nothing at all. Stick to known retailers and avoid clicking on ads that seem suspicious.

Tips to Protect Yourself:

Think Before You Click
Avoid clicking links in unsolicited texts or emails. Instead, visit official websites directly. Don't click a link that may look like it is from Amazon containing products with what seems like a "good deal" as it is not, they will steal your money.

Do Your Research
Verify charities through platforms like CanadaHelps.org or by checking their CRA registration. Also verify websites by checking reviews and using tools like Trend Micro or NordVPN.

Trust Your Instincts
If a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is. Stick to trusted retailers and reputable sites. A luxury car on marketplace that needs no maintenance for a price that seems unreal it is. If a deal is on a website like Amazon but the url is NOT www.amazon.com/ or www.amazon.ca/ DO NOT buy it.

Secure Your Shopping
Avoid using public Wi-Fi for transactions and ensure websites start with "https://" before entering payment information.

Scrutinize Reviews
Fake testimonials and five-star reviews can be misleading. Make sure the profiles creating the reviews are valid and make sure the company has been around for a while. Check multiple sources.

Track Packages
Keep records of your orders and expected delivery dates to avoid falling for fake tracking updates that look like emails containing your tracking date. To find most tracking dates on most sites click on your latest order and find the tracking number directly through the site you have made the purchase from.

Report Fraud

If you’ve been targeted or have lost money, report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or contact the local police at 1-888-310-1122.

Stay vigilant and keep your holiday season merry and bright by steering clear of these scams!

Rising Scam Threats: Stay Informed!

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:18:58 -0400

Are you an avid viewer of online marketplaces? Market places like Facebook, Kijiji, eBay, and Amazon all contain deranged people that are ready to steal your data, sensitive information and sometimes identity! There are scam product posts that can occur more frequently.

Like a more commonly seen one;

The buyer seemingly is "away right now" and wants to send you a "transfer or cheque"

Odds are, you could be selling or buying vehicles, for family members, friends or personal use. But sadly the scammers have no remorse.

They at first claim they are not in the direct area or "Not in the province due to work" or some other reason and want to "send a money order and send someone from eBay to pick up the car". Majority of these are scams looking to get your information, money, and sometimes car.

IF you proceed to fall into this they will send you a cashier cheque or money order for more than the agreed upon price. While sending a truck to pick up your vehicle You may think "But, I am getting more than I wanted?". That may seem awesome but in doing this they are not sending "legit money" and any money you send them will be lost, and your car stolen! So if they are not local or are in another "province or state" do your best to avoid this type of sale, especially if they will not meet up in person.

Refusing to meet up in person

You may also be old school and just want to meet in person. If the buyer or seller is refusing to meet in person there is a very good chance that they do not have the vehicle or the means to purchase. They are ready to take your money or data and run.

The best way to avoid this is never go through with a purchase or a sale unless they are willing to see the product or let you see it. Try not to buy "sight unseen", even though there are influencers that get lucky with doing so, it doesn't mean they haven't been scammed.

Avoid sending money or advance payments

Another one not so uncommon, is the "I need a deposit for me to hold this item".

In most cases it may make sense, if you want someone to hold something a small fee can be asked for almost like a retainer. Although there are people taking advantage of this.

They will ask you for a deposit and sell the car anyway while refusing to give your money back.

If this happens it is almost impossible to get the money back as the police will tell you its a civil matter and banks refuse to give money back on something like this, so it is best to avoid these situations all together and, look for the product or service after you have the funds to do so.

Avoid all external links

When buying or selling a product if a person is extremely persistent about you clinking a link that they send. They are looking to get your information or obtain the permissions to be able to completely take over your device and or account. It is becoming a lot more common to see sketchy links in buy and sell groups online. The best practice is to completely avoid suspicious links as most are scammers looking to phish or activate malware that takes control of your device in the background, or steal your information to take over your Facebook or Instagram accounts. if this happens it is best to reach out to customer support depending on the application, or recreating a new account with more secure privacy measures. Unfortunately this happens a lot more frequently than you would think.

In some cases its better to have a system or practice in place to avoid these types of situations, We at C3 Solutions use Trend Micro to allow a worry free online experience. We suggest using this because of its thorough reports, keeping us aware of the vulnerabilities that may effect our workspace.

If you would like to test your business we offer a Test Phishing Service through Trend Micro that send out SAFE TEST phishing emails to check for vulnerabilities within your business.

Start Testing Your Business Here

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