The Holidays are here, which means scammers are in full force. In fact, 1 in 4 Americans report falling victim to fraud during the Holidays. Whether you shop online or in person this Holiday season, there's some things you should be looking out for to ensure you don't get taken advantage of.
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Holiday Scammers: What To Look Out For - Infographic
What To Watch Out For: Online Shopping
With the majority of people doing their shopping online these days, it creates many opportunities for fraudsters to exploit the holiday season. Scammers take advantage of those who are seeking a bargain by luring them in with fake websites and social media campaigns that imitate major brands.
Here's what to watch out for to ensure you don't get exploited when you're online shopping:
- Huge discounts on items, especially when advertised on social media posts or unfamiliar websites
- Spelling errors or shoddy grammar on a shopping website or in an email
- Check if the site has a privacy policy
- Any unsolicited email that lures you to click on a link or download anything
What To Watch Out For: Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Payment
Although P2P payments apps are a convenient way to transfer cash, they are also an increasingly popular method for scammers. P2P payment apps make it easy to send money, however, they are unfortunately an easy way for scammers to collect funds too. The intended purpose of these apps is to make a payment to friends, not strangers. Be wary of using the apps to to purchase or sell goods, especially to those you do not know or trust.
Here's some preventive measures you can take to keep yourself safe:
- Avoid sending money to strangers, only to those you know and trust. If/when purchasing something, opt for an alternative option with buyer protection
- Check the username or phone number of the recipient. Try sending a small amount first to confirm that your intended recipient received it
- Opt-in for stronger security. Almost every popular P2P platform offers the ability to create a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition
- Set up alerts to be automatically notified of transactions or changes
How Coastal Can Help Protect You
At Coastal, we know that your security is your first concern, which is why we are committed to making your security our top priority. With our fraud prevention tools you can shop online and in-store confidently, knowing your Coastal credit and debit cards feature the latest security technology to protect your personal information from fraud.
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