As the Christmas season approaches, common holiday scams include romance, charity, and sweepstake scams. Additionally, there is an increase in business imposters and government fraud. Overall, online shopping fraud is most common.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HOLIDAY SCAMS
Do Online Research
Look up the website or company name with the words “reviews” or “complaints.” If the company has a less than desirable reputation, you will discover issues other consumers experienced concerning the quality of the merchandise, refunds, or shipping issues. Additionally, many of these reviews will mention that items were never received, they were unable to contact their customer service, or will directly state that they experienced fraud or that the company is a scam. Next, check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if it has received any complaints.
Monitor Your Accounts
Use PHFCUOnline to keep an eye on your transactions, especially during the holidays. Notify Pearl Hawaii right away if there’s any fraudulent activity.
Beware Of Phishing Scams
During the holidays, criminals will create a fake email for a deal that’s too good to be true. If you click on any links within the email, you may be downloading malware onto your computer or you may be asked for payment information that could lead to fraud. Also, never pay for an item with a gift card or purchased credit card.
Limit Large Sums Of Cash
Even though financial crimes migrate from physical to cyber, customers should be careful not to carry around large sums of cash when shopping.
Secure Your Internet Connection
If shopping online, make sure you do so from a password-protected Wi-Fi network. Never access online banking from a public Wi-Fi network.
Shop Safely
Before making an online purchase, make sure the website uses secure technology. When you are at the checkout screen, verify that the web address begins with HTTPS.
Read The Site’s Privacy Policies
Though long and complex, privacy policies tell you how the site protects the personal information it collects. If you don’t see a site’s privacy policy, consider doing business elsewhere.
Read All Of The Details
A note on shipping…. See what you can learn about where the company is located. Many common online shopping complaints involve super-slow shipping, and these are often from companies located outside of the United States.
Rule of thumb… If something doesn’t seem right, shop elsewhere.
By accessing this link, you will be leaving the Credit Union’s web site and entering a web site hosted by another party.
Although the Credit Union has approved this as a reliable partner site, please be advised that you will no longer be subject to, or under the protection of, the privacy and security policies of the Credit Union’s web site. The other party is solely responsible for the content of its web site.
We encourage you to read and evaluate the privacy and security policies on the site you are entering, which may be different than those of the Credit Union.
