Christmas brings a lot of merriment to our lives, even as burned-out adults working dead-end jobs; we can’t help but feel a little excited when shopping malls put up their trees and holiday cards start trickling through our mailboxes! But amid the Christmas songs and hilarious sweaters lies the season’s biggest threat: incoming scammers.
It doesn’t matter how “media literate” you are—scammers are getting smarter. Even those who grew up with the internet find themselves at the tail end of a fraudulent email or a suspicious phone call. To make matters worse, we often shop online throughout December, and with so many emails coming through, it’s easier than ever to click the wrong link. Well, we’re not letting the bandits win! Here's how you can spot them, report them, and forget about them.
Scammers Know How to Target You Personally
Gone are the days of silly emails loaded with typos. The email addresses won’t have the same telltale signs, either; sure, some will probably have a massive address that’s an obvious scam, but others look pretty convincing at first glance. Hackers know where you’re shopping and what you’re waiting for—and that’s exactly what they send to you.
The first thing to keep an eye out for is emails from delivery service providers. Oh, you ordered a book online, and it’s getting shipped via UPS? Well, you can bet your bottom dollar that more and more “UPS” emails will enter your inbox. Trust us, it’s easy to assume you’ll spot the fakes, but scammers love to dangle urgency in your face, and if you’re worried about a gift not arriving, you might just click the wrong thing.
Even scammers’ language has gotten more sophisticated. You won’t see a dozen fonts or different colors in the email. Should you click any links, the website itself will also look more legitimate, often branded with another company’s logo to swindle you. And the better it looks, the harder it is to cut through the malarky.
How to Spot Their Mistakes
Now, scammers may be getting smarter, but they’re not working any harder. At the end of the day, they’re banking on your panic, which makes an email’s language one of the biggest red flags. Is your package being held hostage somewhere? Did a deliveryperson knock on your door, but you weren’t home? Do you need to pay an additional service fee? Yeah, you’re probably dealing with a scam.
The good news is that even if you click on any links, websites won’t collect your information right away. You need to enter personal details, like your card number, your address, and maybe even your phone number. The bad news is that some of these sites look pretty good, and when Purolator threatens to withhold a Christmas gift, you might just believe what’s in front of you.
If you’re ever unsure, click the logo at the top of the screen. Scammers won’t take the time to build an entire fake site, so those logos likely won’t lead anywhere (whereas most legitimate websites take you back to the homepage). You should also keep an eye on how they ask for payment; real companies won’t ever demand cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers.
What Happens if You Take the Bait?
Hey, it happens to the best of us—especially this time of year. If you managed to get hustled, call your bank immediately. Most branches alert you to any suspicious activity anyway, but there’s no point in waiting for someone to drain your account. You can pop into a branch for a new card or call the fraud department to let them know what happened.
It’s also a good opportunity to take this as a learning experience. What exactly did you fall for? Why did this convince you over other scams? What language did they use, and what made is so convincing? Learning a scammer’s techniques gives you a pretty good look into how the rest of them are doing it.
You should also report the website and any email address attached to it. Google has a form you can fill out to report fraudulent sites, and all you need to do is plug in the URL and explain what happened. You can also contact the company directly; if, for example, a scammer pretended to work for UPS, email them directly and let them know someone’s impersonating them. Trust us, they don’t want any negative experiences, either!
Don’t assume you’re exempt this season. Scammers know exactly who to prey on, and they’re learning every day how to better communicate with you. Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious emails this year, and don’t be afraid to get in direct contact with any businesses. They’ll let you know if they emailed you, and they usually have information on their site detailing what to look out for.
