You are probably busy preparing for the holidays and unfortunately, so are criminals. More people say thieves are targeting them more frequently through something we all use. We have what you need to know to keep your money and information safe.
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Is that message about your package delivery legit?
With all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, you probably have packages coming your way. This is one of the main ways thieves try to target you. The AARP survey found that nearly 30% of people have already gotten fake texts and emails about mail delivery.
Scammers send out phishing messages disguised as UPS, FEDEX, U.S. Postal Service, or Amazon, giving notifications about incoming or missed deliveries. If you click on these links, it will lead to phony sign-in pages asking for personal information or to websites infested with malware that will take over your device.
The Better Business Bureau warns, if you get these messages, don’t click on them. Instead, check with the company you ordered the item from. This will be your direct contact for shipping issues, not the shipping company.
Watch out for what you click on while looking around for deals
The AARP is also warning people about something we’ve told you about: fake holiday sale ads and websites. Thieves have created ads and websites that look nearly identical to the real thing. So if you are googling around for a deal, you may accidentally land on one of these sites. We know saving money is a big concern for many of you right now, so some of the signs of a fake site are prices that are too good to be true and misspellings.
In this week’s Ask Amy episode, reporter Bill Spencer joins me to talk about ways to save at the dollar store. We also go over everything you need to know about liquidation stores. Watch the episode here.
