The holiday season is the prime time for fraudsters looking to take advantage of distracted, frenzied shoppers. Consumers are worried about protecting their data because of the spike in hack attacks, phishing schemes and scams. Despite the festivities and spirit of giving, it is becoming more difficult for consumers to avoid the bad guys in a dangerous digital world.
Don’t let Cyber Grinches steal your cash and holiday cheer. To keep you cyber safe for the holidays, we’ll be counting down the twelve most popular scams to watch out for this season.
Everyone makes plans to travel during the holidays to visit family and friends. Travelers need to beware of fake booking sites looking to steal personal and account information. Also, be on high alert for hotel scams like the late night call from the “front” desk to confirm credit card information or a fake pizza flyer put under your door. When you call the number and provide your credit card information, you just got got.
Tip: Don’t book through a third party, use an official site to book your travel. Look for misspellings and make sure the site has https and a legitimate customer service number. Avoid using public WiFi in hotels and if you are asked to update information go directly to the front desk and use recommended hotel menus.
You can learn more about how to protect yourself from Holiday Travel Scams and other scams from Adam Levin’s newest book, Swiped: How to Protect Yourself in a World Full of Scammers, Phishers, and Identity Thieves. This is your survival guide to help you avoid hackers, phishers, and scammers from becoming your problem during the holidays. With a clear headed, practical approach, Swiped is invaluable not only for preventing problems but helping consumers cope when dealing with identity theft incidents. Order your copy of the best selling Privacy and Online Safety book on Amazon.
