CPD Warns Public of Common Holiday Themed Scams

Cambridge Police Department Warns Public of Common Holiday Themed Scams Targeting Shoppers and Donors

As the holiday season and shopping begins, potential criminals will look to perpetrate scams against shoppers and donors. The scams involve online shopping, charity, cryptocurrency investment, gift cards and social media.

Online shopping schemes include fraudulent websites or ads offering goods at unrealistic discounts, items purchased through third-party marketplaces using stolen credit cards or accounts and puppy scams involving fake advertisements for pets.

People should be on the lookout for fake charities soliciting donations through phone calls, emails, crowdfunding platforms, and social media. Also, copycat organizations create seemingly legitimate charities to steal funds.

Gift card scams involve requests for gift card purchases for alleged emergencies, work-related functions, or as payment, or tampered cards with compromised security stickers or altered barcodes.

Social media scams include posts offering fake gift cards or event tickets designed to steal personal information, or fraudsters duplicating ticket barcodes for resale.

Below are several common holiday scams.

Online Shopping Scams: The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns shoppers against an increase in fake websites or personal sellers offering discounts this holiday season. Fake ads posted on social media sites show expensive or in high demand products at unbelievably low prices, luring in potential victims. Scammers create bogus sites stealing photos and logos from legitimate businesses to obtains PII, credit card information or send shoppers a cheap counterfeit product.

Puppy Scams: Adding a new pet friend is a common occurrence during the holiday season. The internet has become the go to place to find those new friends and unfortunately 80% of sponsored pet advertisements online may be fake, according to the BBB. Before purchasing a new pet, individuals should conduct a reverse image search for other ads. Do research on a fair price for the breed and never purchase a pet before seeing them in person. Avoid wiring, using cash app or gift cards.

Phishing Attempts: Likely phishing emails are nothing new to your inbox. However, you are likely to see an increase in these attempts over the holiday season. Scammers will send emails impersonating legitimate companies (Amazon, Apple) offering “giveaways” or warning accounts (company, bank) are being comprised. “Free Gift Cards” in exchange for information is another tactic. Treat these emails with caution. Do not click any strange links or websites as they can contain malware. Look for clues that the emails are fake: spelling mistakes, grammar, formatting errors.

Gift Card Scams: These come in several forms. Scammers will instruct victims to purchase cards then send them the serial number and PIN on the back. Scammers will also scratch the film strip off the back to get the PIN; cover it with a replacement sticker; then, wait for a victim to load it. Scammers can also steal the value remotely by using malicious software. It is recommended when purchasing gift cards to avoid the kiosks and purchase one from behind a counter or online from a legitimate store.

Missed Delivery Scams: Fraudsters will send phishing texts or emails informing customers that a delivery could not be completed and to follow a link or to call a phone number. Like phishing emails, these should be treated with caution. No links should be clicked. Delivery companies (FedEx, UPS, USPS, Amazon) will never ask for social security numbers or credit card numbers for delivery purposes.

Grandparent Scams: Uncorroborated information suggests that grandparent scams increase during the holiday season. Scammers will text, email, or call elders impersonating a family member in trouble or claiming to represent said family member in trouble (i.e. lawyer). These scammers will then demand money, via gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or gold bars. Scammers instruct victims not to tell anyone and try to create a sense of urgency and fear. Victims are advised to hang up immediately and reach out to family members before taking any other action to verify information being provided.

Temporary Holiday Jobs: The BBB warns “the number one riskiest scam for people ages 18-44 in 2023,” was temporary holiday jobs. Scammers will advertise online temporary positions for holiday work by impersonating legitimate companies. Employers will never ask for payment for supplies, applications or training fees. Job seekers should be caution of big money for these positions and are advised to never work for a company before being hired.

Charity Scams: Scammers will use familiar sounding names or impersonate reputable charities. Those looking to donate to charities this season should first verify the organization by using: BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or Guide Star. Individuals can also utilize the Smart Donor Checklist to ask questions about the charity in question.