CHICAGO (WLS) — Tis the season of giving and receiving gifts, and that means new holiday scams are flooding your email and text messages.
There is no better time than the holidays for thieves to fool you, because you’re doing more online shopping and getting plenty of shipping confirmations.
Before you click a link or send money, there are warnings. Here are some of the top holiday scams.
One of the most popular holiday scams, according to consumer and security experts, are email and text messages that appear to come from legitimate online shopping sights and shipping companies.
One scam message claims you need to click a link to locate an alleged missing package.
“They look legit but I tell myself to not click on anything from a number I don’t recognize,” said Hannah Henderson, shopper.
“My grandmother would probably fall for that,” said shopper Brandson Smith.
The scam is designed to fool you into clicking on a malicious link which could install malware on your device or trick you into giving up personal information.
“They’ll think that that particular package is meant for them,” said Zulfikar Ramzan of Aura, a security company. “In reality the link is fake, the phone numbers fake, and it only takes you to a site that’s going to siphon your information.”
Security groups like Aura said if you have a question about a package delivery, contact the merchant or shipper directly. Don’t click on links sent to you.
In 2021, Aura said three in four Americans experienced a holiday scam,…
