Don’t Let a Scam Spoil Your Holiday Cheer. With the holidays right around the corner, it is important to watch out for some common scams that may occur. Gift cards are always a great gift idea, but scammers have found ways to record the gift card number and wait until it is purchased to use. This common tactic ends up leaving you with an empty gift card, and less money in your bank account.
Scammers are also always targeting people looking to make some extra cash around the holidays. If you get an email saying something along the lines of: “Make extra cash by buying gift cards,” it is a scam. In this case, scammers will send you a check in the mail and tell you to buy a certain amount of gift cards and to keep the change. Sounds easy and like a good deal right? No. They’ll have you read off the gift card numbers to them and tell you it’s okay to go cash the check, but when you do, the check is returned, leaving you out of money and providing the scammer with free gift cards.
When buying a gift card from a store, buy them at the counter that is staffed by employees, not at the gift card kiosk. If buying one from behind the counter is not an option, choose one from the back of the display rack, and one with packaging does not look like someone tampered with it. Charity scams are on the rise as well. They are especially active during the holidays when everyone is in a giving mood. Before donating to a charity, it is it best to remember these tips for spotting a fake charity. First, charities will never pressure you into donating. Second, if you receive a thank you note for a donation you don’t recall making and the message is asking for more money, it is fake. Finally, do your research. Scammers will create websites that sound just like real charities. You can always do a quick Google search for the name of the charity and several websites exist to help you spot charity scams such as www.charitynavigator.org. Trust your intuition. If you can’t find any information or if a site looks fishy, it most likely isn’t legitimate.
If you suspect a scam, report it to your local police department. They will be more than happy to help in any way. You can also call the AARP Fraud Watch Network (FWN) at 1-877-908-3360 and visit www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork for more information about these and other scams. The FWN is absolutely free and you don’t need to be an AARP Member to access its resources. Let’s work together to leave the scammers out in the cold this holiday season!
Harrison Quidort
Address: 53 Baxter Blvd, Portland Maine
Phone: 1-866-554-5380
Email: me@aarp.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aarpmaine
Twitter: www.twitter.com/aarpmaine
Website: www.aarp.org/me
