Protect Yourself from Fraud This Holiday Season
The holiday season is bustling with togetherness, travel, shopping, and charitable donations. Sadly, accompanying the season is an increase in fraudulent activity by scamsters hoping to take advantage of the most wonderful time of the year.
Scams can include phone calls, texts, and email messages that appear to be from a legitimate source. In addition, e-commerce fraud, or fake websites that portray a real business, increases as consumers turn to online websites and applications to shop for the holidays. These fake shops lead to a non-delivery scam, where a buyer pays for goods that they never receive.
As always, knowing how to spot fraud is one of the best ways to defend against it. Below are some tips to help you avoid scams during the holidays and year-round.
If you receive a suspicious call or message, don’t respond, click on any links, or open attachments. Here you can see an example of a fraudulent text message appearing to be from TowneBank:
The improper spelling of “TowneBank” is your first clue that something is amiss. Secondly, remember that TowneBank would never ask for confidential or financial information over the phone or by email or text. When in doubt, call your banker.
- Be wary if a company asks you to change your username or password. Call the company directly to verify the request before proceeding.
- Do your research and check reviews if you are shopping with a company for the first time. Do not shop from sources with no, few, or poor reviews.
- Use a credit card when shopping online and review your statement regularly. Utilize Card Control when making purchases with your TowneBank debit card to manage and monitor your transactions, helping you keep your card safe. Additionally, Money Management allows you to connect multiple accounts for a complete view of your spending across credit, debit, and savings accounts.
By educating yourself and staying vigilant, you can be merry throughout the holidays without falling prey to holiday scams.
Additional Information from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
If you have questions about a potential scam or think you might be a victim, call your banker directly.