'Tis the Season… for Holiday Scams! 

The holiday season presents scammers with an increased opportunity for fraud. Whether you’re shopping, traveling or looking to donate, be wary this holiday season! Keep an eye out for some of these common scams:

• Prices that are too good to be true. If you see a listing on Craigslist or eBay and the price seems very low for the item, make sure to check out the seller. Dig a little deeper by asking for their phone number address, and references from past sales. If you decide to make the purchase, stay safe by meeting in a public place that has security cameras.
  
  
• Email gift cards. All e-gift cards should be scrutinized, even if it looks like it is coming from a friend or family member. Scammers send out fake holiday greetings with links that install malware on your device. A real e-gift card always has a confirmation code. If it doesn’t have one, don’t click on any links.
  
  
• Fake charity organizations asking for donations. People are more benevolent around the holidays. Before you donate to a good cause, make sure to verify that the cause or organization is legit. Additionally, never donate using a link in an email. Always go straight to the website.
  
  
• Package or mail theft. Stealing mail or packages right from your front door is still common despite video doorbells. Consider using a secure post office box or a package drop box to receive mail and packages.
  
  
• Fake vacation rentals. As holiday travel begins, scammers may post listings for rental properties that don’t exist. They typically try to get you to communicate with them and pay directly instead of through an app, so you can’t trace them. Be sure to use only trusted apps or websites to book your rentals.