It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 假期即将来临，这意味着假日购物季正如火如荼地进行着.

无论你是在为你生命中的人寻找完美的礼物，还是向慈善机构捐款，帮助那些在这段时间没有那么幸运的人, the holidays bring increased spending across the country.

With this increase comes a heightened risk for fraud, 骗子们把这段时间看作是一个绝佳的机会，他们可以在毫无防备的购物者或捐赠者身上下手，因为这些人可能被节日的混乱分散了注意力，没有注意到自己落入了骗局.

Scams are prevalent in our day-to-day lives, but according to a report from TransUnion, 在2021年假日购物季，疑似电子商务欺诈的数量比15起增加了25%.73% of fraud attempts observed from January 1st to November 29th.¹

With such a high spike in fraud attempts during the holidays, 在线下和线上购物或送礼时保持警惕，了解如何保护自己免受假日欺诈的侵害，这一点很重要. 知道如何发现这些骗局，以及如果你碰巧遇到一个骗局该怎么做，是保持你的假日购物体验快乐和光明的最好防御.

Gift Card Fraud

Gift cards are an easy and convenient item to give during the holidays, 尤其是当你不知道别人想要什么或需要什么，或者想不出什么具体的东西来得到他们的时候. According to the National Retail Federation, gift cards have been the most popular gift in America for the past 14 years.²

This year looks to continue this trend, as the Blackhawk Network, a global branded payments provider, forecasts gift card spending to jump 27% this holiday season.³

With such high demand, it’s easy to understand why gift cards are one of the primary methods of holiday fraud, 在向联邦贸易委员会(FTC)举报欺诈行为的人中，约有四分之一的人说他们用礼品卡付款.³

购买礼品卡时最重要的事情之一是确保它没有被篡改过. Check the PIN number and make sure that it is still covered by its original coating. Scammers can steal the PIN and the card number and when you add money to the card, they can drain it into their own account.⁴

Another area to check closely is the barcode. 骗子会用自己的条形码贴纸盖住原来的条形码，所以当你加钱的时候, it will send it to the scammer’s card directly.⁴

Other ways to combat gift card fraud include taking cards from the middle of the peg or purchasing cards from behind the register; making sure that your receipt matches the number on the gift card; and purchasing gift cards directly from the retailer or in stores rather than online. In 2021, it was reported by Bolster, a tech company specializing in finding fake websites, that they saw more than 152,000 fake websites built around gift card scams. This was five times more than what they saw in 2020.⁵

Charity Fraud

The holidays are not only a great time to surprise others with gifts, 但这是一个回馈社会的时候，你有机会通过捐赠你的时间和金钱来帮助慈善机构，帮助最需要帮助的人.

One of the biggest charitable events in the US around the holidays is Giving Tuesday, which is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Starting in 2012 as a day to give time and money to charities, Giving Tuesday has grown to become a major success. A 2021 report on the event stated that nearly $2.5 billion was donated in the US on this day in 2020.⁶

While this amount of generosity is great to see, 一些骗子已经注意到这一点，并将自己伪装成慈善机构，以获取你的钱为自己的个人利益.

The first thing to look for is what and how the organization wants you to donate. Use caution if an organization asks for donations in the form of gift cards, wire transfers, or even straight cash.

信誉良好的组织不会这么直白地告诉你他们希望你如何捐款，也不会要求你提供礼品卡或电汇. 如果你看到任何以特定方式要求你捐款的东西，不要与之互动.⁶

Next, 不要仅仅因为你觉得你需要迅速行动或者被要求在“捐赠星期二”特别捐款而急于捐款. 商业促进局(BBB)建议，无论你选择什么时候捐款，组织都将接受你的捐款. 不要相信任何在特定时间范围内提供特定时间福利或福利的组织. If you feel pressure to donate, take your time.⁶

Lastly, make sure to do your research on the organization(s) you want to support. 大多数组织都会有一个网站，在那里你可以看到他们的使命宣言和你的捐款将用于什么. The BBB and the IRS allow you to search organizations to determine their validity. You can check out the website for the National Association of State Charity Officials, where many charities must register.⁶ You can also check Charity Navigator, a nonprofit that evaluates charities based on their financial health, accountability, and transparency.³

Other Forms of Holiday Fraud

While gift card fraud and charity fraud are the prominent scams during the holidays, other forms of holiday fraud to be aware of this season include:

• Package Delivery Scams: 网上购物正成为假日购物的主要形式，亚马逊等公司不断提供包裹, the USPS, FedEx, and UPS. 骗子试图利用这一点，假装是一家快递公司，并试图让你点击一个恶意链接来窃取你的个人信息.
  
  小心任何快递公司的短信或邮件，告诉你你的包裹已经送到了, has an issue, or is missing a payment. Check the message for any spelling errors or strange wording. If you are unsure and concerned, reach out to the delivery company directly.^{3, 5}
• Money App Scams: For some, instead of buying specific gifts, they will just send money to their friends or family so they can buy what they want. 随着Cash App等第三方转账应用的推出，这比以往任何时候都要容易, Venmo, or our partner here at Elements, Zelle^®. Since these apps are connected to your debit cards or bank accounts, they are typically targeted by scammers year-round.
  
  千万不要在节日期间使用你的货币应用程序来支付商品，警惕那些只接受通过这些应用程序支付的网站. Since these are third-party systems and not actual financial institutions, if you make a transaction that turns out to be a scam, it is unlikely that you will be able to get that money back. 另外，永远不要把你的密码给别人，也不要让别人访问你在这些应用程序上的账户. 如果你收到一个看似来自你的金融机构的短信或电话，他们要求你提供这些信息, do not give it to them and contact your credit union or bank as soon as you can.^{7, 8}

What do I do if I think I’ve been scammed?

If you feel that you have been scammed, 重要的是要采取必要的行动来限制造成的损害，并保护自己免受任何可能面临的问题.

• Contact your credit union or bank immediately: If you sent the scammer any money or account information, call your financial institution and let them know that you have experienced fraud. Ask that the transaction be canceled and if it has already gone through, you may be able to dispute the payment in an effort to get your money back.³
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission: 通过投诉让联邦贸易委员会知道你所经历的骗局，告知他们正在发生的事情. This will allow them to protect others from experiencing the same scam. 联邦贸易委员会将为您提供适当的步骤，以收回您的钱.³
• Freeze your credit reports: 当涉及到你的信用报告时，窃取你的个人信息而不仅仅是你的钱的骗局可能是危险的. 如果你觉得你的个人信息被盗，立即冻结你的信用报告. Doing so will block the scammer from opening any accounts using your information, which could tarnish your credit scores.³

Have questions or need to report suspicious activity? Our credit union experts are always here for you. Contact Elements Financial for fraud support year-round. From everyone at Elements, may you enjoy a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!

_Sources:

_{1) TransUnion, “感恩节和网络星期一之间的疑似电子商务欺诈企图率比一年中其他时间增加了25%”}

_{2) Retail Gift Card Association, Tips for Safe Gift OLD (thergca.org)}

_{3) Forbes, 5 Holiday Scams To Watch Out For – Forbes Advisor}

_{4) ABC7 NY, 假日购物:避免礼品卡诈骗的简单技巧7在你身边.com)}

_{5) KARE 11, Holiday shopping scams to look out for this season | kare11.com}

_{6) USA Today, Giving Tuesday: Watch out for charity scams: Talking Tech podcast (usatoday.com)}

_{7) Zelle, "Pay Yourself Scam" marketing ad}

_{8) WFMY News 2, Cash apps are not the best payment method for holiday shopping | wfmynews2.com}