The weather outside isn’t the only thing that’s frightful during the holidays.
Between online shopping, package deliveries and overflowing inboxes, the gift-giving season creates plenty of opportunities for scammers. Scams, convincing phishing emails and fake delivery notices can catch even the most careful shoppers off guard.
And when employees fall for these scams, the consequences can sometimes follow them into the workplace.
Here are four common holiday shopping scams that, if not anticipated, could leave your business roasting on an open fire.
Fake delivery notifications
- “Your package has been delayed.”
- “The delivery address needs updating in order to ship.”
- “A small delivery fee is owed to get your package to you quickly and securely.”
These types of communications, usually through text and email, are common in the holiday season, which makes them a great avenue for unsafe links or other phishing techniques.
If you receive an unexpected delivery notification, double-check through the retailer’s official website and never click on links in suspicious texts or emails.
Online shopping scams with unrealistic deals
Scrolling on your phone late at night, you come across an ad.
- New and trending gifts!
- Limited-time discounts if you act now!
- Holiday clearance sale, everything must go!
They’re enticing, but these links take you to fraudulent stores designed to lure customers in with suspiciously attractive deals and messaging that impersonates well-known brands.
Many of these scams are designed to simply take your money for imaginary products that never arrive. The more dangerous ones steal your payment information to make unauthorized purchases, causing much more damage than a few wasted dollars on a scam deal.
Before buying, check the website address, look for independent reviews and be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true.
Phony order confirmations
This scam takes the form of order confirmation emails, which quickly pile up during the season. You may not think much of another email until you notice a confirmation for an item worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars that you never purchased.
Scam artists are betting on your impulse to click through and immediately attempt to cancel the fraudulent order. But once you’ve clicked the link and provided your account information, your data is compromised.
If you don’t recognize a purchase, check your order history and payment details directly through the retailer’s official website or app. Don’t let phony confirmations override your security best practices.
Fake customer service and refund scams
A call or email out of the blue comes from someone claiming to represent a large retailer, maybe even one you’ve recently shopped with.
The person on the other end is apologetic, warm and ready to fix a serious error. All they need to fix it is your password to that business’s online portal.
Requests for passwords, verification codes, remote access or unexpected payments are immediate red flags that indicate a scam.
Retailers or eCommerce platforms should never cold call you. If you receive a suspicious call or email, contact the retailer directly through their verified website or app rather than responding to the message.
Holiday scams affect more than just you
Even when shopping on a personal device, one compromised password or account can give scammers an opportunity to harm your business. Most business cyber incidents stem from human error, and personal vulnerabilities can often be easier to exploit than business vulnerabilities.
Knowing what scams to watch for is the first step.
Security measures and device protection are important for both business and personal devices, but the best incident mitigation comes from staying smart when online.
The holidays are busy enough without stuffing a cyber incident in your stocking. An expert IT service provider can help train employees to recognize these threats and implement safeguards to reduce the risk of serious breaches.
Schedule a 10-minute discovery call to learn how we can help protect your business from holiday scams and cyber threats year-round.
Call us at 913-948-6849 or visit our website https://micronetkc.com/discoverycall.
