The first Santa letter email arrived the other day. It reminded me that parents looking for a unique gift might see the Santa letter email as an opportunity to create a memorable holiday. In a utopian world, that email signaled the beginning of a season filled with joy and giving. Sadly, it also signals the start of the holiday scam season. I first covered Santa letter email scams a couple of years ago. I’m still appalled that crooks use Santa as a way to steal, but that’s the way the real world is these days.
Season for the Santa letter email scam
The email I received was an obvious scam. It said, “Each package includes a personalized letter from Santa, Good Boys & Girls List, Santa Map that includes his directions from the North Pole to your house, & Complete the delight for your child with a ‘Good Boys & Girls Certificate’ embossed with a golden Santa Seal.”
The first service started in the 1950s when people who wanted to help spread Christmas cheer opened businesses that charged a fee to mail a handwritten letter from Santa.
In addition to the nice description of what buyers would get for their money, there was also a long string of text intended to fool spam filters. There are legitimate businesses that will provide a letter from Santa. The first service started in the 1950s when people who wanted to help spread Christmas cheer opened businesses that charged a fee to mail a handwritten letter from Santa. Fast forward about sixty years and what was a way to spread holiday cheer has turned into a scheme to rake in holiday bucks.
Personally, I think a letter from Santa would be a really cool gift. However, if you’re going to do something like this, be sure to protect yourself. Here are four tips to make sure you get what you pay for.
- Do not respond to a Santa letter email. There’s a high probability the email you receive is not from a legitimate company.
- Pay by credit card so you have ample time to dispute any charges
- Make sure the company is using a reliable third-party payment service such as PayPal, Authorize.net, or a bank. Never pay direct or with a money order (or other non-refundable forms of payment).
- Search the internet for complaints about the company by entering the name of the company in quotes (so you search specifically for that company name) followed by the term reviews or complaints.
Sad to think of all the holiday scams. When my sister and I were children I think our favorite uncle must have had a special relationship with Santa, because we always got a Santa letter but when we got older realized Santa must have been busy some years and asked my uncle to help him write the letters – recognized that handwriting ;-).
That sounds like a really great uncle to have! What a great memory to have 🙂