Everybody loves a good deal, especially when you have to buy multiple gifts for multiple people.

According to the FBI though, this is the season when the most aggressive, tricky and sneaky scams come out.

 

ONLINE SHOPPING – This is kind of a “no brainer,” your email is most likely being flooded with junk and deals right now, you may even be getting texts to your cell about deals. Some are legit, but some are scams to stay away from.

“FBI suggests avoiding unfamiliar sites that offer unrealistic discounts on brand name products, or gift cards as incentive to purchase something. You might not only end up paying more than you should; you could also be giving away your personal information to a malicious third party.” -CONSUMERIST

It’s also suggested to change your credit card passwords to be very strong, and use secure sites to make transactions so as to avoid giving out information to too many sites.

 

APP SCAMS – Free apps are fun! But the FBI warns that some of the free apps being pushed are actually apps designed to gather personal information from your device. FBI sugests reading LOADS of third party reviews before going and downloading that free app.

(You should also be on the lookout for fake retailer’s apps on your iPhone this holiday season) – CONSUMERIST

 

WORK FROM HOME SCAMS – Another obvious suggestion from the FBI, but a good reminder nonetheless, is to do your research before joining a paid survey site or secret shopper company.

If you’re looking into work from home jobs here’s a site that exposed some scammers: Monster

You can also visit this Canadian site (that as far as our research has shown) is a trusted source for Canadian work from home jobs: Work At Home Canada

 

SOCIAL MEDIA SCAMS – Say your friend, who you trust, shares an online voucher to your FB page. They may unknowingly be sharing a scam.

“Some might be fake holiday promotions or contests that lead consumers to answer an online survey designed to phish their personal information.

Don’t post tickets of events you’re attending on social media, either, as scammers might use those bar codes to create fake tickets for resale.” -CONSUMERIST

 

If you have seen or heard of any scams let us know and we’ll add to this post to keep people aware!

-The Pepper & Dylan Show

Filed under: FBI, Holidays, Scams