As the holidays approach there are 4 types of phishing scams everyone should be on the lookout for.
- Fraudulent Shipping notifications – this is probably the most common attack during the holidays. The malicious actors will send you an email pretending to be from Amazon, Zappos, Apple, or more. The message may say there is a problem with your order to click and link or open an attachment. It should be noted, no one will ever send you an attachment with an order issue. Make sure the email is actually coming from the vendor’s domain. @amazon.com @apple.com
- Charity Fraud – These emails will usually contain a personal story or generic information. Avoid giving to any charity you can not verify with a quick web search or phone call.
- Gift Card Scam – No one gives free gift cards. Let me say it again, no one gives free gift cards. Don’t provide any information to anyone promising to provide you with a free gift card.
- Travel Scams – Recently these scams may involve emails stating they are coming from “American”, Delta, or Southwest stating there is an issue with your flight or that it has been canceled and you need to click here to reschedule or provide the card information to get a refund. Always be skeptical of these emails and get the from address, it should not be @gmail, @aol, or @yahoo.com
Stay vigilant on the internet and educate your older loved ones about these threats.
