‘Tis the Season… to Get Scammed

November 26th, Oakville, Ontario, Canada  

Everyone loves the holiday season, especially scammers! This is why it’s so important to make sure that you know what kind of scams are popular this time of year so you can be prepared and protect yourself. There are the classic phone scams but there are also many scams that take advantage of you online too. Let’s get started!

On the First Day of Christmas... A Zombie Botnet Computer

Norton has released a warning not to click on any links to free hot holiday gifts (iPad 5s, red Furbys, etc.). These benign links will redirect you to a website that infects your computer – turning it into a zombie for another’s nefarious purposes. Everything from digging up Bitcoins for the Russian Mafia to attacking competitor or government websites can happen. Don’t click unfamiliar links!

On the Fifth Day of Christmas… A Fake Charity

It’s the season to be charitable, and what better way for hackers and criminals to make money than to pull on your heart strings? Before donating to a charity do your research and know that you’re sending the money to the right place.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas… An All Inclusive Scam Vacation to Nowhere

Travel scams are popular, especially this time of year. A real ecommerce site that is selling travel packages is going to have a 1-800 number at the top, they’re going to have business information on their page and a privacy policy. Don’t give up any financial details and if the deal looks too good to be true it probably is!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas… Social Media Scammers

Home is where the heart is, and where are you more at home than your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn Account? This time of year you’re going to see a lot of ads for contests to win big ticket items, people that you’re friends with posting about winning things (which they almost never have). Don’t click the link and don’t install any applications to win. You’ll rarely have to do so to enter into a legitimate contest (though you may have to write in to take part), and if they try and force it there’s something fishy going on.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas… Mobile Scamming

There are malicious mobile apps that steal your information and send out text messages to steal others information, leaving no trace of who the original scammer was. Smishing, or SMS phishing, tricks people into giving up information they never would otherwise. It’s all designed to steal your money and waste your time.

The twelfth day of course is all the other scare tactics and crazy stuff that goes on this time of year. With a little common sense and some research you’ll be able to make sure that whatever you’re doing this time of year is on the level. Watch out and don’t be taken advantage of.
 
The Goodale Miller Team is based in Oakville, Ontario, specializing in luxury homes for sale, is Canada’s #1 Century 21 team for 8 years running.

Contact Information

Mike Smith

Marketing Coordinator

GMT

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