Santa scams are coming to town

To scammers it really doesn’t matter whether you are naughty or nice. If you’ve got a few bucks they can get at, then they’ve got time for you. The holiday season brings plenty of opportunities for crooks to try to trick you out of your money or your identity or both. The Better Business Bureau has these tips for those who want to keep scammers from sneaking down their chimneys.

You better watch out, as the song says, this time of year. You may be among those who receive unsolicited emails or texts advertising a “letter from Santa” for children. This is often a scam and you should never click on links in such messages. Scammers use this technique to acquire either your personal information or your money, or both.

Crooks create phony websites that look legitimate to lure in consumers. They may even include an official “nice list” with your child’s name on it. They are after your credit card information and your address. Ignore these “bad Santas.” Your child will not receive a letter and you will get entangled in a devious holiday scammer’s web.

It’s too late this year, the cut-off date is December 15, but next year consider using a Santa letter service provided for free by the United States Postal Service. For 105 years, Operation Santa has been sending letters to children with authentic North Pole postmarks. Visit https://about.usps.com/holidaynews/letters-from-santa to learn more.

Here’s a quick rundown of other holiday schemes that Grinchy scammers ramp up to dampen the festivities in December:

▪  Social media gift exchanges – Sending out only one gift and getting 36 back may sound like a wonderful deal. But this is actually a pyramid scheme and it is illegal. Don’t fall for it.

▪  Grandparent scam – Holidays see an increase in this old chestnut of a scam, as crooks take advantage of the increased number of Christmas travelers. The call from someone claiming to be a grandchild in financial trouble while on a trip is almost always a fake. Hang up the phone and concentrate on hanging up stockings instead.

▪  Free gift cards – This popular scam shows up in the form of pop-up ads, emails and texts saying you have a free gift card awaiting you. It’s usually just a lie intended to get your personal information and steal your identity.

▪  E-cards – Notifications alert you that you have an e-card to open. You’re required to share your information (which is really all they’re after). Be especially careful if the e-card sender’s name is not apparent in the message.

▪  Puppy scams – It’s never a good idea to give a pet as a gift unless it’s been discussed thoroughly and the recipient is totally on-board with the obligation to care for and nurture the animal. Buying online is very risky and could involve puppy-mill animals with multiple health issues.

The spirit of the season, for scammers is just the same “spirit” as any other time of year: rip-off time. Be careful and don’t let the holidays distract you from taking precautions

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Santa scams are coming to town."