Around the holidays we are all in the spirit of family and giving. Presents for the niece or nephew. A gift for the brother or significant other. We want to think during these times that the evil in people is not present but that's just when they show up to take advantage.
ONLINE
Usually good security is used by online stores. The threat here is offers and links in emails for great deals at those stores. These could be a hostile site looking to take your information. This could lead to other sites you use being compromised as well. If you use the same username/email and password at multiple sites(against previous recommendations). It may look real and you put things in your cart and enter your payment information get a conformation email and never get that item you got at the amazingly low one time offer deal. Keep an eye in the URL bar and make sure it is the right site.
Amazon.com/offer/!!%gtdks/item#35234452/html
Amazoon.com/deals/%&tcd/re-direct/offer/24##ed.edit.ru
Yes it is a little easy to spot right on top of each other in this example. But at a glance in the URL all that mumbo jumbo looks just fine to the casual browser of the interwebs. You may not see it on the screen when you’re in a hurry or excited to get this really amazing deal for that one present you were looking for. Mirror sites and hostile sites are getting harder to spot these days. And links look fine. Yes spam filters are pretty good at spotting the terrible fakes. My spam folder is filled with great things to laugh at. But please be careful.
This is also a time when scammers will pull at your heart strings. I heard on the radio that during this time of year(holiday season) nonprofits, charities, and other organizations set up to help others bring in over 40% of their yearly contributions. A story about a house burning down and a child not getting a Christmas can bring a tear to your eye and a hand to your wallet. Just be careful. Lets make sure our money is making it to those in need and not someone trying to make a buck on holiday cheer.
BRICK AND MORTAR STORES
During the holidays hordes of people will flock to malls and stores and outlets to find a present and a deal. Stores will take on holiday staff. These employees will be temporary for the season or show the boss that they should be kept on full time. But here is a weak point in the structure. They are temporary and standards and expectations may be lower to just get bodies to stock items or work the register. But who are these people? Yes they can be a sweet Grandmother looking to earn a little extra money. They can also be a college kid working to make money to buy the latest game system. They can even be a criminal taking advantage of the Christmas rush.
Just one person with a credit card skimmer at a store could snag thousands of credit cards information. Skimmer machines look great now a days. You may not even notice anything after you hand over your card. Or maybe they put it inline with the stores card reader that the customer interacts with. They could sneak in a charge or two here and there. Oh that random purchase at Target or Wal-Mart maybe that was the crock-pot for Aunt Sue or the Sweater for Becky. Be mindful and mark or keep an eye on your spending. Not just to make sure you stay on budget but to make sure that you are not a victim of holiday scammers.
Just a thought. A few ideas and things to look out for. This is not just the rants of a man with tin foil hat. I just want you to be aware of the darker side of the holidays and help you stay out of trouble.
Please be careful and have a happy holidays with your family and loved ones.
