• by Ray Schultz , November 25, 2022

Holiday shoppers may be in for some rude surprises this year from scammers operating via email and social media.  

The Better Business Bureau has outlined what it calls the 12 Scams of Christmas. Here they are, as reported by News4JAX:  

1. Misleading social media ads — Some of these purportedly are for charities or small businesses.
2. Social media gift exchanges — It’s an old scam, with some new twists — like an offer to exchange bottles of wine. The BBB advises people to not share personal information with anyone. 
3. Holiday apps — Consumers are advised to be especially wary of free apps.
4. Alerts about compromised accounts — These warn the consumer that their Amazon, Paypal, Netflix or bank accounts have been compromised. If they fall for it, their accounts will be compromised. 
5. Free gift cards — Scammers impersonate companies like Starbucks. The BBB warns consumers not to open emails offering gift cards, and if they have, to not click on any links. (This won’t help legitimate companies that use email to offer gift cards). 
6. Look-alike websites — Fraud artists send emails leading to fake websites. The goal: To get people to download malware. 
7. Fake charities, With 40% of all donations coming in at the end of the year, this is the hot time for this type of swindle. 
8. Fake shipping notifications — With the number of notifications growing, scammers are sending phishing emails with links that could download malware or glean private information from the person. 
9. Pop-up holiday virtual events — Bad actors are creating fake emails, event pages and social media posts. 
10. Top holiday wish-list items — These emails will offer low-priced luxury goods, which usually turn out to be counterfeits and knockoffs. 
11. Puppy scams —Many people especially those with children, cannot resist offers to adopt a pet. But some  are getting ripped off. 
12. Temporary holiday jobs — These are designed to lure people seeking seasonal work. The purpose is to glean personal information and steal money.