Watch Out For These Holiday Scams

It’s panic time.  Christmas and Hanukkah are here and the frenzy of holiday shopping, checklists and bills is mounting.  It’s a time of good cheer, smiling faces, and good will to all.  Sorry folks, but it’s also time for the Grinch!  The scammers are out and about spreading holiday gloom in a number of ways so let’s take a look at the short list of do’s and don’ts. (sorry if some of this may sound familiar but  reminders do not hurt).

Gift cards have become the salvation for many of us when we can’t find the perfect item.  When making your selections, there are several best practices. Make your purchase directly from the store and a cashier where you can select the card value.  Scammers work the card racks by copying card numbers and pins so be certain that any cards purchased from a card rack retain security coatings and seals and ask the clerk to verify the card value. (A separate warning – many gift cards linked to credit card companies carry stiff fees to activate and can add as much as 30% to the cost of the card).

Always use credit rather than debit cards when making purchases.  Debit cards result in immediate withdrawals from bank accounts while credit card payments are made at the end of billing cycles.  In some cases, including gasoline purchases at gas pumps, debit cards may involve holds of amounts in excess of the purchase and can result in accounts being overdrawn.  Regardless of whether you use credit or debit cards, be particularly careful at ATM machines and gas pumps.  Our region has been plagued by “skimmer” devices; attachments placed over the card slots on the machines which read cards and are combined with miniature cameras or touch pads to capture keypad pin numbers.  If you suspect ATM or gas pump tampering, report the problem directly to the owner of the gas pump or ATM as well as any clerk and avoid ATM machines that are not associated with banks.

Beware of “special” holiday deals or offers that come over the phone or on your computer.  While it is true that there are many good sale offers for products, services, and vacations at this time of the year, do not make purchases or commitments until you have researched the offer and the company involved. Then make the purchase directly with the company using what you know are legitimate contacts.  If the offer is phrased as something on which you must act immediately, pass it by remembering – if it seems too good to be true it likely IS!  Look for reviews of the offering company by checking YELP on-line, the Better Business Bureau, or your State Attorney General’s office.

This is also a season for sending packages from home or through purchases made from businesses. Delivery services such as FedEx, UPS, and USPS are responsible for the item only while it is in their hands.  Once delivery is made, the “security” of the item falls to the recipient.  Thieves and con artists are well aware of this and the fact that many of the deliveries are made to homes where nobody is present.  There are two ways to protect your package:  ask for it to be held at a delivery company facility or safe location for pick-up or require a signature when delivered.

The holiday season can also create a great deal of stress and result in letting down your guard.  Don’t let the rush of the season result in costly errors.  As a reminder, unless you utilize a VPN (virtual personal network), don’t conduct shopping or personal business on public wifi network hotspots.  Also – be sure to share the happiness by contributing to worthy causes but verify the quality of the charity by checking your Secretary of State’s office to see if it is registered or services such as Charity Watch and Charity Navigator.  Be safe and Happy Holidays.

If you suspect that you may be a victim or a target of a scam, contact

the AARP Fraud Watch Network hotline  - 877-908-3360. You can also contact your Attorney General’s Office: Maine - (617) 727-8400 http://www.maine.gov/ag/consumer/index.shtml

New Hampshire - (603) 271-3641 http://doj.nh.gov/consumer/

AARP is looking for volunteers and fraud fighters.  Register on line at www.AARP.org/fraudwatchnetwork to join or to receive alerts.

Questions - contact me, egreenblott@aarp.org.  We’d love to have you join us as a volunteer.

 

Elliott Greenblott is a retired educator who serves as the Vermont AARP Fraud Watch Network Coordinator.