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FBI
Protect Your
Wallet and Your Information This Holiday Season
As the holiday shopping season officially gets underway, the FBI would
like to take this opportunity to warn shoppers to be aware of the
increasingly aggressive techniques of cyber criminals who want to steal
your money and your personal information.
For example, watch out for online shopping scams—criminals often scheme
to defraud victims by offering too-good-to-be-true deals, like brand
name merchandise at extremely low discounts or gift cards as an
incentive to buy a product. Beware of social media scams, including
posts on social media sites that offer vouchers or gift cards or that
pose as holiday promotions or contests. Always be careful when
downloading mobile applications on your smartphone—some apps, disguised
as games and offered for free, maybe be designed to steal personal
information. And if you’re in need of extra cash this time of year,
watch out for websites and online postings offering work you can do
from home—you may actually become the victim of an advance fee,
counterfeit, or pyramid scheme, or become an unknowing participant in
criminal activity.
Here are some additional steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim
of cyber fraud this season:
Check your credit card statement routinely, and
ensure websites are secure and reputable before providing your credit
card number;
Do your research to ensure the legitimacy of the
individual or company you are purchasing from;
Beware of providing credit card information when
requested through unsolicited e-mails;
Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages
that ask for personal information;
Never click on links contained within unsolicited
e-mails;
Verify any requests for personal information from
any business or financial institution by contacting them directly;
Be cautious of e-mails claiming to contain pictures
in attached files, especially unsolicited e-mails—the files may contain
viruses; and
Be leery if you are requested to act quickly or told
there is an emergency (fraudsters often create a sense of urgency).
If you suspect you have been victimized, contact your financial
institution immediately, contact law enforcement, and file a complaint
with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
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