"In a frenzy of last-minute gift shopping and travel bookings, we can be more anxious, more distracted and more vulnerable. "There's a lot of hustle and bustle during the holiday season, so there's a lot more opportunities for scammers to steal from us," says Amy Nofziger, senior director of Fraud Victim Support at the AARP Fraud Watch Network, a fraud prevention service."
"They sell fake branded clothing or jewelry and use stolen logos or similar domain names to appear authentic. The store might disappear shortly after you've placed your order. How to protect yourself: "If you're using a vendor that you haven't normally used, take the name of the vendor, put it in a new search, type the words 'scam,' 'fraud' and 'complaint' after it, and use other shoppers' experiences with the company to guide your own," Nofziger says."
Holiday shopping and travel distractions increase anxiety, distraction and vulnerability to scams. An AARP survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. adults found nearly 9 out of 10 reported being targeted by or falling for some type of scam during the holiday season in the past year. Common schemes include fake shipping notifications, stolen packages, fake charity requests, fake retail ads on social media and compromised gift cards. Scammers open short-lived social media stores using stolen logos or similar domains and may log gift card numbers and PINs before purchase. Searching vendor names with terms like 'scam,' 'fraud' and 'complaint' and using credit cards offer consumer protections and reduce risk.
Read at www.npr.org
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