As we near Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you may be focused on snagging the perfect
holiday gift for a fraction of the regular price. While many legitimate retailers
offer deals and discounts this time of year, it’s crucial for shoppers to remain vigilant
against deceptive and malicious holiday scams.
Bad actors employ a variety of elaborate and sophisticated tactics to obtain personal
and banking information. Commonly, scammers impersonate representatives from reputable,
established companies to deceive victims into providing their information. In fact,
Amazon has reported a recent surge in Prime scams where users receive notifications warning them of potential account suspension unless
immediate action is taken. Victims are then directed to disclose their Prime login
credentials or payment information, either on a spoofed website or over the phone.
This holiday season, protect yourself against common holiday scams by practicing safe
shopping habits.
The Don’ts of Online Shopping
- Don’t connect to unsecure public Wi-Fi, especially to do your banking or shopping.
- Don’t click links or download attachments from emails unless you are certain of where
they came from. - Don’t provide your password, personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited
email request. Legitimate businesses will not ask you to provide your information
in this way! - Don’t checkout without first verifying the legitimacy of the site. Before making a
purchase, verify the authenticity of the website by manually typing the retailer’s
URL into your web browser, especially if you landed on the page through a link in
an email or online ad.
Ready to Place Your Order?
Your shopping cart is calling, filled with must-haves and favorite finds. Here are
easy-to-follow methods for secure checkout.
- Use a credit card instead of a debit card. There are laws that limit your liability for fraudulent credit card activity, but
you may not have the same level of protection for your debit card. - Make sure your information is secure and encrypted. Signs that you are shopping from a secure site include a URL that begins with “https:”
and displays a closed padlock icon. - Check your credit card and bank statements regularly. Reviewing your account activity will allow you to immediately notify your bank and
local law enforcement should you notice fraudulent charges.
Report Holiday Scams
If you believe your personal or financial information has been stolen, first contact
your local police department to file a report and obtain a case number. You may be
asked to provide the case number when alerting your bank or financial institution
to the scam. You should also report phishing attempts and active scams to:
- Seton Hall’s IT Security Team: If you receive a suspicious email, forward it to IT Security for investigation by
clicking the “Report Phish” button on your Outlook taskbar. - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): File an incident report to notify the agency of phishing attempts, malware, and other cybercrimes.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC): If your information has been stolen, the FTC will help you create a personal plan to help you report and recover from identity theft.
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