Tis the Season… for Holiday Scams

With the holidays approaching quickly, the traditional season for giving has become a peak time for taking among con-artists targeting Montana consumers.  While most of us focus on family and friends during the holidays, scammers are zeroing in on your wallets and bank accounts. At AARP Montana, we’re encouraging consumers to be on the lookout for some emerging and popular scams, and to also share the information with their families and loved ones to help keep them safe this holiday season.

Charitable Giving

Among notable scams during the holiday season, charitable giving scams are especially prevalent this time of year.  Montanans are very generous when it comes to donating to charity, and while it’s good to give, it’s important to give wisely.

There are hundreds of bogus fundraisers exploiting this generosity by keeping most of the money they raise for themselves. This is why it is so important to ask where the money is going and check it out before giving.

Government officials who regulate charities and fundraisers say that while most charities are legitimate, there are many fundraisers, especially telemarketers, who keep 85-90% of the money they raise.  If you knew that for every $10 dollars you gave, only a buck went to the charity and the rest went to lining the pockets of the telemarketer, you’d probably think twice before giving to that particular solicitor.

Package Delivery

Many holiday shoppers in Montana are unaware that package delivery companies are NOT responsible for stolen packages that are left at your front door without requiring a signature. The next time you ship a package think about requiring a signature upon delivery.

Debit Card Vs. Credit Cards

Consumer protection experts recommend the use of credit cards rather than debit cards for most purchases to better protect consumers from fraud and theft.  With credit cards, you are liable for only up to $50 of fraudulent use. But in the case of a lost or stolen debit card, financial losses to the consumer can be much more significant.

Public Wi-Fi

Many holiday shoppers in Montana wrongly believe that it is okay to share sensitive information via free Wi-Fi networks as long as they are secured by https.  When in fact, online security experts warn that consumers should NEVER use public Wi-Fi to access bank accounts or to buy products online.

Gift Cards

Fraud experts report that thieves sometimes hit store gift card racks, secretly write down or electronically scan the numbers off the cards, then check online or call the toll-free number to see if someone has bought the cards and activated them. As soon as a card is active, the scammers drain the funds. By the time you try to use the same card, the money is long gone.  Consumers should only purchase gift cards from reputable sources. Better yet, get them directly from the store they’re from – and preferably directly from the store cashier. Then ask them to scan the card to ensure it has the correct balance.

How the Fraud Watch Network Can Help

Don’t get robbed of your holiday cheer. For additional tips and information consumers can also sign up to receive timely fraud alerts from the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or by calling the AARP Foundation Fraud Fighter Call Center at 1-800-646-2283.