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March 29, 2024

Holiday internet scams are becoming more and more common.

According to the FBI, thousands of people fall victim to holiday scams every year. Two of the most prevalent scams are non-delivery and non-payment crimes.

In a non-delivery scam, buyers pay for goods or services they find online, but never receive them. Alternatively, non-payment scams involve the shipment of goods or services — but the seller never receives payment.

According to a 2021 report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), non-payment or non-delivery scams cost people more than $337 million.

Detail of someone typing on the keyboard of an Apple MacBook Pro laptop in a cafe on November 18, 2016.
((Photo by James Sheppard/Getty Images))

Holiday Last Minute Gifts

Additionally, credit card fraud cost another $173 million, the agency said.

Another scam to watch out for is auction fraud, which is the misrepresentation of a product on an auction site, and gift card fraud.

According to Norton, here are five online scams to watch out for this year.

Close-up detail of a businessman working on a smartphone and laptop at his desk, shot on January 31, 2019.

Close-up detail of a businessman working on a smartphone and laptop at his desk, shot on January 31, 2019.
((Photo by Neil Godwin/Getty Images))

Click on the link for the fake order

Hackers will impersonate large retailers, sharing links that indicate there is a problem with your order.

Support a charity that doesn’t exist

Alternatives to Apple Password

Before making any donations, please double check the organization you are donating to.

DALLAS, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 21, 2017: A woman uses her smartphone while waiting to board her flight at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

DALLAS, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 21, 2017: A woman uses her smartphone while waiting to board her flight at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
((Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images))

shopping on fake websites

Be skeptical of unbelievably low deals and suspicious-looking websites.

Shop with gift cards

Cybercriminals who are sellers often suggest gift cards as a form of payment. They may ask for a digital copy of the gift card, and once they have this information, they use it to buy whatever they want with the gift card. Stick to credit card purchases.

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Don’t use airport Wi-Fi

Instead of using airport Wi-Fi, stick to password-protected services to keep your company and yourself safe.



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