Holiday shopping fraud ’TIS THE SEASON FOR BY SALLY J . CLASEN BETWEEN BLACK FRIDAY and the end of the Christmas shopping season, Americans are expected to spend a staggering $189 billion this year. While this may sound great for the economy, it sounds even better to scammers seeking to put a damper on your gift-giving plans.
Help protect yourself Protect personal and financial data by using
False gift card activation When you receive a gift card that needs to
legitimate sites when shopping online (look for “https” in the website address and a locked padlock icon to left of URL), use credit cards or digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay to make purchases and avoid shopping or sending sensitive info on public or unencrypted Wi-Fi networks.
be activated, there is usually an activation website address and telephone number listed on the back of the card. Gift card scammers often create fake websites with similar web addresses in hopes that victims will land on these fraud sites. When activating your card, make sure to type in the activation website found on the back of the card into your browser instead of doing a search.
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IN YOUR CORNER ISSUE 9 | 2021
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