Every year, scammers take the opportunity to target relaxed holiday shoppers around the Christmas period with new and old scams. This leaves people increasingly vulnerable online… and James Walker, CEO of Rightly has identified and highlighted the 12 scams of Christmas people need to look out for when buying gifts.
1. Online shopping fraud
Often, through hype and stories in the media, a particular gift becomes the ‘must-have’ present for that year. In the past it’s been the latest PlayStation, or one year it was the Woody doll from Toy Story that no one could find for love nor money in the run up to Christmas.
The scam occurs when scammers present fake websites claiming to sell the essential gift. The demand for a particular gift is a gift itself to scammers. Customers can’t believe their luck – they’ve found the perfect present and the kids will be super-excited. They pay for the gift. It never arrives.
Always remember, if it looks too good to be true, then it almost certainly is. If you see something that seems this way, it should set off alarm bells, not just jingle bells.
2. Christmas delivery scams
Naturally, Christmas is a time when the deliveries start flying. Sadly, the scammers know this too and are waiting to cash in.
There are many varieties of this scam. One from the Post Office, for example, asks you to pay a fee and provide some personal information so that a parcel can be delivered. Then, scammers use the information to contact…
