This holiday season, use caution when shopping online. Be wary of these common holiday scams. Remember to always think before you click.

Too-Good-To-Be-True Sales & Deals

If you’re like many holiday shoppers looking for a good deal on gifts, remember to avoid any sales that seem too-good-to-be-true (because they probably are). Phishing emails or ads try to capture your attention with extremely low prices or discounts, but oftentimes lead to untrustworthy websites to collect personal and payment information with malicious intent.

Phony Postal Delivery Alerts

Beware of package delivery email or text notifications that request personal information. They could be disguised as FedEx, UPS, or USPS. Many fraudsters take advantage of the busy postal delivery season because it’s likely you are actually expecting a package.

Fake Refunds

Be cautious of a refund scam that appears to come from Amazon, a hotel, or a retail chain. The phony notification refers to a “wrong transaction” and prompts you to “click for refund” but instead, your device will be infected with malware.

Fake Gift Cards

Internet crooks promote fake gift cards through social media, but what they really are after is your information, which they then sell to other cybercriminals who use it for identity theft. For example, a scam might offer a complimentary $1,000 Best Buy gift card to the first 20,000 people who like the Best Buy Facebook page, which is a malicious copy of the real one.

Holiday-Money Fraud

People could always use extra money during the holidays, so cyberfraudsters run work-from-home scams. They may ask you to apply by filling out a form requesting confidential information, like your Social Security Number, which could lead to identity theft.

Copycat Wi-Fi

Bringing a tablet or smartphone to the mall to price shop for gifts online has its benefits, but remember the bad guys are there too, shopping for your credit card number. They can create a Wi-Fi signal that looks just like a complimentary one you always use. Choose the copycat Wi-Fi and the hacker can potentially steal your credit card data while you shop online. When using a public Wi-Fi connection, it’s better not to use your credit card–wait and make your online purchases at home.

Gorham Savings Bank will send text notifications for suspected fraud, but we will never call and request that you provide your full card number to us over the phone. Call us directly to ensure you are speaking with GSB. When in doubt, call the Customer Service Center at (207) 839-4796.