It’s already Week Four in my 12 Scams of Christmas countdown. This time, I’m covering #5 and #6, Chilling Charities and Surreptitious Shipping Notifications.
Chilling Charities
It happened just the other day. I received an email from a woman who claimed to be in the UK, was hospitalized, and had a long sad story. Of course, she wanted money for this or that, but by then I wasn’t paying attention. A personal solicitation for help from a total stranger is not something I’ll respond to—no matter how dire their situation. Cold? Perhaps—but in today’s scam-centric online world, it’s a harsh reality.
“Be leery of people that contact you online claiming to be a victim.” This advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of an online scam comes from CharityNavigator.org. The advice also applies to in-person contacts.
Last year, I used the example of a Massachusetts man who set up a table in front of a department store. He was seeking donations for the “Help for Homeless Vets” charity. He’d covered the table with American flags, business cards, and pamphlets. Unfortunately for him, an off-duty policeman became curious about the charity, did a little research, and discovered the “charity” was a fake.
The best way to stay protected is to only give to charities with a verifiable reputation. There are plenty of ways to verify a charity’s reputation. Three options include CharityNavigator.org, the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org), and CharityWatch.org.
Shipping Notice Scams
During the holidays, it’s not uncommon to expect a package delivery. It’s also common to receive notifications of packages being shipped. What can be confusing, though, are the shipping notice scams, those emails claiming a package could not be delivered.
In one example from earlier this year, a “delivery failure” email was purportedly sent from DHL. The email claimed the recipient could fix the problem by logging in with their Adobe ID. The email looked very official. It included both the DHL and Adobe logos. Of course, it was a scam, but people were caught in the trap.
Beware of any notifications claiming it is necessary to log in somewhere to correct a problem with delivery. They’re most likely a phishing scam and have nothing to do with the company cited in the email.
The 12 Scams of Christmas List (the countdown)
Week 1: #12 Soggy Security (#12) and Mystery Shopper Scams (#11)
Week 2: Scrooge Wants Money (fake debt collectors) (#10) and Coupon and Gift Card Scams (#9)
Week 3: Hot Holiday Deals (#8) and Not-so-merry Mobile Apps (#7)
Week 4: Chilling Charities (#6) and Shipping Notice Scams (#5)
These scammers & their emails are awfully convincing esp. when logos & real company addresses are on them. After all the scams I’ve been sent, I learned to first check where the email really came from. Sure, they’ll say they’re Apple, but when u look further & closer into it, u see all these letters, small & capital, along with #’s….they’re such long nonsense emails, u can’t even find the @ part because just shows….., since so long & fake. That’s my first clue
Other clues are like u said, u didn’t ask or even look into a certain product or site, but they’re telling u that u did. Too good to be true, it’s false!
It boggles my mind though at how good some emails look like the real deal. I find it shocking when I first wake up, my brain isn’t quite fully functioning yet, & I get some strange email telling me I bought so many $ worth of something. They catch me off guard, but as I drink my coffee, my brain wakes up & the shock turns into rage at how dumb I was
It’s definitely a dog eat dog world out there, but u must remain a pit bull because their poodle will eat u up & take your money to the bank, happily
I honestly also think these are people with absolutely NO CONSCIENCE! I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I had a job knowing I’m preying on innocent people who may or may not fall for the scam. Once I’d know what my job was, I’d be out the door & looking to flip burgers or make French fries at fast food places before I’d sit all day & send scam emails to unsuspecting people.
I’ve been a target quite a few times & im learning to tell real from fake but they’re still really good!
May none of u be tricked or conned during this holiday season….or ever!
Be careful out there! ( my line from HILL STREET BLUES lol)