It’s the season of giving but scammers are taking

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for scammers and many Americans are putting themselves at risk. Don’t be one of them.

Here are 10 tips on how to protect yourself from holiday scams:

holiday-security-tipsCheck the charity: Before donating to a charity, make sure it is registered with the Secretary of State and ask how much of the money goes to the charitable fundraiser and how much goes to the charitable purpose.

Travel Safely: Millions hit the road, rail and sky during this holiday season. But with the cost of travel on the rise, especially airfares, passengers are easy prey for a host of scams.  Some seem legitimate. But there are some warning signs. For example, you want to travel to Europe or the Bahamas and a travel site offers you a hotel or apartment rental at a great price in a city you want to go to. It seems perfect, except you can’t pay with a credit card. They want cash, a bank or wire transfer. DON’T do it. It’s a scam.  Also, during the holidays, you can often be targeted using familiar e-mail addresses of your friends. You may receive an e-mail purporting to be from friends saying they were traveling and had their wallet stolen and that they’re in a hotel, unable to pay their bill. This is a travel scam that uses details taken from social networking sites (such as Facebook) to send phony distress e-mails to family and friends. And of course, these e-mails ask that money be wired or transferred.

Gift Card Fraud: Only purchase gift cards from reputable sources and try to get them directly from the store they’re from.  Ask the store cashier to scan the card to ensure it has the correct balance and provide a receipt before leaving.  Look at the back of the card to ensure the area with the protective scratch-off is intact.

Surf safely: Do not use public Wi-Fi to check sensitive financial information, or to make purchases using your credit card.

Package Theft: Require a signature on all package deliveries. You can also write specific instructions for the delivery company on where to leave your package, and don’t forget you can always have your package delivered to you at work.

Use credit: Use a credit card instead of your debit card when making holiday purchases.

Fake checks and free gift offers:  Websites may offer free gifts if you “click here,” and letters in the mail could ask for personal information in exchange for a $500 check.  Believe us, people you don’t know don’t want to give you free money. Remember the adage that there ain’t nothing in life for free. Similarly, the emails and shared status updates on social media saying “click here for your free gift” are likely phishing schemes or malware-laden, and letters asking for an advance payment to receive your free check for thousands of dollars are bogus.

skullBeware Suspicious Emails: Pay special attention to emails you receive from sources such as your bank, retailers and shipping companies such as FedEx or UPS. Scammers use the names of reputable companies to try and get you to open attachments containing malicious software or enter logon credentials to your accounts.  Never click links from emails or open the attachment in an email, especially if you’re not expecting a message from the source.  Instead, close the message and visit the site by manually opening it in your browser.  Call the source directly if you are suspicious or believe the message to be false.

Beware of deals: Watch out for deals offered by companies with unfamiliar websites. Look for reviews on Yelp, Google and the Better Business Bureau or search the retailer’s name and “scam” to see if it checks out before giving your payment information.

Secure your systems: Take added precautions with your security.  Make sure your antivirus and malware software’s are up to date and functioning. Ensure your windows and java security patches are applied and your firewall is configured correctly.  Backup your data!  These steps along with some simple common sense can help mitigate your exposure while online.

If you need assistance securing your systems or help cleaning up from a suspected scam contact us.

(561) 404-9251 | TMDTechnology.com

Tech Support Scams

In a recent twist, scam artists are using the phone to try to break into your computer. They call, claiming to be computer techs associated with well-known companies like Microsoft. They say that they’ve detected viruses or other malware on your computer to trick you into giving them remote access or paying for software you don’t need.

These scammers take advantage of your reasonable concerns about viruses and other threats. They know that computer users have heard time and again that it’s important to install security software. But the purpose behind their elaborate scheme isn’t to protect your computer; it’s to make money.

 

Beware of Spring break scams

Deerfield Beach Computer SupportSpring is officially here and Florida is a top destination on many spring breakers list. Many students and families are looking for deals online as they make their spring break travel plans to the sunshine state and other hot spots.

Scammers are very aware of this time of year and are creating schemes to defraud this group of deal seekers. Police in many tourist areas are often so busy trying to perform their normal duties and tracking down these cyber criminals is difficult if not impossible.  Many of these scammers are from overseas and less than 5% of people that are scammed ever recover their cash.

Local media and business groups across the country are warning students of this widespread fraud. In general, these notices caution of any offer that seems too good to be true probably is. Proceed with caution when considering deals that seem to be to good to be true. Five-star hotels, beachfront condos and resorts for a very low price or that require immediate payment by wire, cash or check to retain a rate. When something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

if you are proceeding with an offer get all details from the purchase are in writing, including the total cost, any restrictions that may apply, and the exact names of the hotels or resorts promised.  You may also try to contact the resort directly via their official website to ensure legitimacy before making any form of payment if possible.  Pay for the vacation with a credit card so you are protected if something goes wrong, and so authorities can more easily track the fraudulent vendor.  Avoid companies that require payments by only cash, check, or wire transfer.