Holiday Scams & Protecting Your Personal Information Online
Holiday Scams & Protecting Your Personal Information Online
December 16, 2024
As the holiday season kicks into gear, the Fund Office would like to remind our members to be vigilant for online scams and fraudulent emails. Scammers often take advantage of the holidays to create deceptive messages designed to steal your personal information.
From IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel:
“People need to be extra careful during the holidays and during tax season. Identity thieves and tax scammers are shrewd and take advantage of what is on people’s minds, particularly during busy times of the year like the holidays. Remember, don’t click on anything unknown, even if you just ordered gifts and you’re expecting packages to come to your door soon. Double-check before you click.”
Example of a Common Scam
One frequent scam is an email or text message designed to look like it was sent from a delivery service. These messages often claim your packages are delayed/cannot be delivered and include a link to reschedule your delivery. However, these phony links are a phishing attempt to steal personal information or download malware onto your device.
Safety Tips to Protect Yourself & Your Information
Here are a few ways you can better guard yourself against scammers and identity thieves:
– Shop at online sites with web addresses that begin with the letters “https:” the “s” stands for secure communications. Also look for a padlock icon in the browser window.
– Don’t shop on unsecured public Wi-Fi in places like a mall or restaurant.
– Ensure security software is updated on computers, tablets and mobile phones.
– Watch out and help protect the devices of family members who may not be technologically savvy, a wide range that goes from young children to older adults.
– Make sure anti-virus software for computers has a feature to stop malware, and that there is a firewall enabled to prevent intrusions.
– Use strong, unique passwords for online accounts.
– Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
Additional Resources
You can learn more about protecting your personal information on the official IRS website here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-warns-of-holiday-scams-encourages-protecting-sensitive-personal-information-as-9th-annual-national-tax-security-awareness-week-starts
