FBI: Protect Your Wallet and Your Information This Holiday Season

Protect Your Wallet and Your Information This Holiday Season

As the holiday shopping season officially gets underway, the FBI would like to take this opportunity to warn shoppers to be aware of the increasingly aggressive techniques of cyber criminals who want to steal your money and your personal information.

For example, watch out for online shopping scams—criminals often scheme to defraud victims by offering too-good-to-be-true deals, like brand name merchandise at extremely low discounts or gift cards as an incentive to buy a product. Beware of social media scams, including posts on social media sites that offer vouchers or gift cards or that pose as holiday promotions or contests. Always be careful when downloading mobile applications on your smartphone—some apps, disguised as games and offered for free, maybe be designed to steal personal information. And if you’re in need of extra cash this time of year, watch out for websites and online postings offering work you can do from home—you may actually become the victim of an advance fee, counterfeit, or pyramid scheme, or become an unknowing participant in criminal activity.

Here are some additional steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud this season:

• Check your credit card statement routinely, and ensure websites are secure and reputable before providing your credit card number;
• Do your research to ensure the legitimacy of the individual or company you are purchasing from;
• Beware of providing credit card information when requested through unsolicited e-mails;
• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information;
• Never click on links contained within unsolicited e-mails;
• Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them directly;
• Be cautious of e-mails claiming to contain pictures in attached files, especially unsolicited e-mails—the files may contain viruses; and
• Be leery if you are requested to act quickly or told there is an emergency (fraudsters often create a sense of urgency).

If you suspect you have been victimized, contact your financial institution immediately, contact law enforcement, and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).