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10 Money Scams to Avoid this Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of joy, but also a time that scam artists take advantage of people and their goodwill. Due to spirits being high and the joy of giving is so great, many people tend to lose sight of the importance of protecting their money during the holiday season. According to TransUnion, 52% of people are concerned about the safety of their personal information during this time of year. However, because people are either uninformed or get caught up in the excitement of the holidays, many scam artists are very successful at taking advantage of people and their money. In order to ensure that your holiday season is filled with joy rather than stress and anguish, avoid these money scams this holiday season.

1.آ آ  Gift Card Scams

Gift cards are one of the most popular gifts to give a person; they do not require returns or even a gift receipt and the recipient can purchase whatever it is that makes him happy. The problem is that gift cards are often not as safe as they seem. Scam artists have several ways of committing gift card fraud – they can clone the cards while they are in the stores by storing the numbers on the front and the back of the card. At a later date, they call to check on the status of the card via the 800 number provided on the card, waiting for it to be bought and activated. Once activated, they can use the value online or even make a fraudulent duplicate and use it in the store.

2.آ آ  Fraudulent Websites

A study performed by a research and consulting firm concluded that 67% of consumers will shop online for holiday gifts this year for at least one gift. This news has scam artists excited because it is a larger audience to try to lure into their fraudulent websites. If you are unsure if a website is real or not, call the store to find out if you are at the right web address. It is also a good idea to never follow a link from a search engine, but rather to put the website address in yourself. In addition, if a deal seems too good to be true or the details of a product seem a little off, don't give out your credit card information – you are better off safe than sorry.

3.آ آ  Phishing

Scam artists know that consumers are looking for great deals and the hottest products this time of year so they prey on that need. They send emails that have fraudulent links in them that rather than producing the coupon, great deal, or product website you thought it would, it downloads malware on your computer and infects your files, possibly even stealing your information without your knowledge until it is too late.

4.آ آ  Charity Hoaxes

The holidays are a time to give, but not if you are giving to criminals. While it seems to belittle the idea of being charitable, you have to know whom you are giving money to before you give it. If you just dole out money to anyone shaking a bell at you, the money might be landing in the hands of criminals. If you don't have the time or resources to determine if a charity is legitimate, don't give them money. This is especially true for phone solicitors or online requests. Unless you initiated the phone call or you are able to trace the source to the actual charity, don't give out your credit card information – your identity will likely be stolen.

5.آ آ  Holiday Cards

Yes, even holiday cards which are supposed to spread cheer can cause you harm. If you receive a card via email and it contains a link for you to click, think twice about clicking. Do you know whom the card is from? Can you verify it came from their email address? Better yet, contact the sender to see if they really did send you a card. If you fall for this scam, clicking on a link for a card that was sent to you by a scam artist, you could allow malware or a virus on your computer and your information to be stolen.

6.آ آ  Job Scams

The holidays have many people scrambling for extra cash, so when a job opportunity comes up that allows a person to work from home and make extra cash, it may seem too good to be true and typically it is too good to be true. The scam artists prey on your need for money by offering high payouts for very little work. What they are doing is trying to get your personal information, such as your bank account info for "direct depositâ€‌ or they require a payment for you to work for them, calling it a membership fee or even an application fee. In the end, there is no job and you have given the crook access to your accounts or you paid them without receiving anything in return.

7.آ آ  Delivery Tracking

Tracking your delivery is something that most consumers do, especially during this time of year. As the anticipation for a package delivery grows, consumers become more vulnerable. This makes them click on links included in phony emails that claim to have the delivery information. The links contained in these emails either require you to input your personal information so the scam artists can steal it or they install malware onto your computer so they can monitor your keystrokes and steal your information that way.

8.آ آ  Stolen Packages

We all want to think the best of those around us, but the unfortunate truth is that theft of packages from front porches increases dramatically during the holiday season. Instead of having packages delivered to your home if you work away from the house, have them delivered to your job or to someone's house that is typically home. If that is not an option, have the packages held at the carrier's facility, whether it be FedEx or UPS and pick it up yourself. While this might be inconvenient, it will save you the headache of dealing with a theft.

9.آ آ  Watch your Mobile Apps

Only download mobile apps from developers that you know and trust during this time of year. If you download a fraudulent app, which happens all of the time, you could be giving the thief access to your personal information. They could download malware onto your phone and wait for bank or credit card information to be shared in order for them to steal it and hack into your accounts.

10.آ آ  Travel Scams

More than 90 million people travel around the world during the holidays, which gives scam artists a great chance to scam at least a few thousand people. Setting up fake websites with cheap airfare and great deals on hotels is an easy way for them to get your information. In your excitement to save a few hundred dollars during the holiday season, you could be handing over your personal information to thieves.

You can never be too safe when it comes to protecting yourself during the holiday season. Always know who and what you are giving money or your personal information to in order to ensure that you are able to have a safe and happy holiday season.