Ho, ho, oh no! With the upcoming holidays, there are sure to be even more scam artists out there trying to get your money and personal information. These thieves use numerous tactics to prey on you and your emotions. Don’t fall for their scams! Central Florida Bonding wants you to recognize the scams that thieves are using to con people.
The following are examples of various scams that these “holiday Grinches” are using:
•Charity scams – Many people want to donate to a charity during the holiday season. Scammers know this and prey on their victims. Do not donate money over the phone or online to any charity that contacted you. Instead, verify the charity’s legitimacy and only donate to a charity where you have initiated the donation. Double check to make sure that you have the actual phone number or website for the charity. Scammers like to create fake charities with similar names and phone numbers.
•Phone scams – One of the tactics that a thief uses is pretending to be a company that you patronize. For example, a new twist is a scammer pretending to be from Amazon to let you know that a transaction for a specific amount/specific purchase such as an iPhone was made on your Amazon account and will be charged to you. The scammer will leave a message with a phone number for you to call back, or they will prompt you in their call to press 1 or some digit on your keypad. Do not call back and don’t press the digits on your keypad. If you are concerned that this is real, then go to the specific company mentioned (such as Amazon) and check your account. The scammer wants you to call back or get more involved by pressing numbers on your phone so that they can eventually obtain your financial information.
•Package delivery scams – This is where a scammer will create an email to make it appear that you are receiving a message from the United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, or another delivery service. The message will tell you about an upcoming or missing delivery. This scam wants you to enter personal information so that they can infect your computer with malware or use your information to their benefit. Always double check email addresses. You can always visit the specific delivery site online and verify your package whereabouts.
•Phishing scams – This is where criminals will use e-mail to try and get you to click on links. These links promise huge discounts, free gift cards, etc. all in an effort to entice you to click on them. Never click on the links! Instead, make sure that you check the actual sender e-mail address to see if it matches up with the sender’s name.
•Fake checks – These checks are often sent to you through the mail. The scenario is that you have won a prize, overpaid on something, or can use the money to pay off your debts. Do not cash this check. Just shred it and dump in the trash.
•Imposter scams – This is where the thief preys on your emotions. They might call you and pretend to be a family member that needs money for a family emergency, they might pretend to be the IRS telling you that you need to pay back taxes, they might pretend to be a law agency telling you that your family member has been arrested and needs bail money, or any other type of scenario that will prey on your emotions. Do not send this thief any money via wire, gift cards, or bank transfer. If you are in doubt, question the thief. Also, contact the family member that is supposedly in trouble to check the accuracy of the thief’s claims.
•Travel scams – Many people will be traveling to be with friends and family this year. Double check all travel deals that look too good to be true. Only book with reputable sites and double check to make sure that those sites are legitimate.
•Gift cards – Gift cards are a great gift. Thieves know this and tamper with gift cards. Before buying a gift card, make sure to inspect it to make sure that all of the stickers are there and that the numbers haven’t been scratched. Only buy gift cards from places that you know and trust. Save the receipt when you buy a gift card and treat the gift card like cash.
Beware of scams this holiday season! Central Florida Bonding wants you to avoid being scammed out of your money or personal information.
We bail clients out of jail for numerous charges including theft, assault, battery, DUI, domestic violence, drugs, road rage and more. Central Florida Bonding is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year to assist defendants with the bail bond process. To start get started, please call 407-841-3646.
Central Florida Bonding has been serving Central Florida since 1979. We have experience on our side. Give us a call today at 407-841-3646.
