November 19, 2018

consumer news

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

During the holiday season, we tend 

to make a lot more purchases online 

for travel and gifts, so it’s especially 

important to be vigilant about protecting 

your money. Here are some of the most 

common scams to watch for:

Fake Websites and Apps. Scammers often 

create fake websites that are so similar 

to the sites of popular retailers, it easily 

tricks consumers into providing payment 

information. The scammers take your 

information and your money, but you 

never receive the products. Scammers 

have also developed fake apps that contain 

malware. When you download the app, 

the malware steals personal information 

from your device or locks it, holding it 

for ransom until you pay the scammers. 

Other types of fraudulent apps ask you 

to login using your social media or email 

accounts that could expose your personal 

information for the scammers to steal. 

Be careful of apps or websites that ask 

for suspicious permissions, such as 

granting access to your contacts, text 

messages, stored passwords, or credit 

Shopping Online During the Holidays? 

Protect Your Money 

From Scams 

card information. Also, poor grammar or 

misspelled words in an apps’ description 

or on a website is a red flag that it is not 

legitimate.

Email Links. Avoid clicking on links 

in unsolicited emails or emails from 

unfamiliar sources. The links may lead 

to an illegitimate website attempting 

to get you to enter your credit card or 

other personal information. Some links 

may download malware (malicious 

software, such as computer viruses) to 

your computer when you click on them 

that can steal your banking information, 

including login identification, passwords, 

and credit or debit card numbers. These 

emails typically look very similar to ones 

sent by well-known retailers, banks, and 

other entities. 

Be on the lookout for emails that have 

typos or other obvious mistakes. In 

addition, be skeptical of email attachments 

described as coupons, rebates, or payment 

forms – they could include malware. And 

avoid email offers that seem “too good 

to be true.” If an email promises popular 

items for free or a surprisingly low price, it 

is probably a scam. 

Making Payments on Unsecure Sites. 

Before paying for a purchase online, 

make sure the website you’re on has 

“https” at the beginning of its URL 

with a lock symbol:

This means the site has a protected 

network connection. Websites with 

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
“http” at the beginning of the URL with 

no “s” are more vulnerable to attacks 

by scammers who steal credit card 

information by monitoring network 

traffic. Also be aware of pop-up windows 

that appear while you are on a website 

asking for your credit card information 

to receive coupons or to win free items. 

Legitimate companies do not ask for your 

personal information for those purposes. 

Using Public Wi-Fi to Shop or Access 

Sensitive Information. Wireless 

connectivity, also known as Wi-Fi, allows 

your laptop, PC, or mobile device to 

connect to the internet without a physical 

wire connection. Many restaurants, hotels, 

libraries, and other places offer free public 

Wi-Fi, which is convenient when you’re 

on the go. However, these networks may 

not be secure (since they either do not 

require a password or provide the same 

generic password to all customers for 

access) and may expose your personal 

and banking information to scammers 

looking to steal names, social security 

numbers, and bank account numbers.

Avoid using public Wi-Fi to make 

purchases online, login to your financial 

accounts, or access other sites that have 

sensitive information about you. It’s also a 

good idea to stick with websites that have 

“https” encryption (discussed above) when 

in public places. 

Package Delivery Confirmation Scams. 

This scam is especially popular during the 

holidays when people receive gifts through 

the mail that they may not be expecting. 

The scammers call or email claiming to 

be from the U.S. Postal Service or a major 

shipping company and state that you have 

a package waiting for delivery. To ensure 

the package is meant for you, you are 

asked to provide personal information, 

which the scammers steal to use to open 

credit accounts in your name. In response 

to this scam, the U.S. Postal Service 

explained it does not call or email people 

and ask for personal information if there is 

a problem with a delivery. Visit https://

postalinspectors.uspis.gov for more 

information.

Don’t let these scams dampen your holiday 

spirits. Instead, here are precautions you 

can take to protect your money while 

shopping online: 

• In general, always use difficult-to-guess,

unique passwords on every account.

• If you’re using shopping apps, focus

only on official retailer apps found

on the retailer’s website or a reputable

app marketplace, which offer

stronger security.

•

• Monitor credit card bills and bank

statements as well as app and other

online transactions for unauthorized

purchases or withdrawals. Immediately

contact your bank if you see anything

suspicious. In addition, you may want

to consider signing up for alert services.

Many credit card issuers, banks, and

mobile app providers offer services that

notify you about certain account

activities, such as recent logins from

unrecognized devices.

For more help or information, go to www.fdic.gov or 

call the FDIC toll-free at 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342). 

Please send your story ideas or comments to Consumer Affairs 

at consumeraffairsmailbox@fdic.gov