A Naughty List of Holiday Scams

Nobody looks forward to the holidays more than scammers who hope we’ll be distracted. Enjoy the season worry-free with our practical checklist of ways to avoid getting scrooged by scammers.

Skip the click

Social media is crowded with ads touting holiday deals. But some of the clickable ads could lead you to scammers running spoof sites that only want to steal your credit card info.

If you see an ad for something you want, skip the clickable ad and go directly to the company’s website. Never provide personal info until you are comfortable that the merchant is legitimate.

Pay with a credit card instead of a debit card when possible

Debit and credit cards are both generally covered by Zero Liability Protection, but the difference is that transactions with a debit card typically pull directly from your checking account, so fraudulent use may result in overdrafts of your checking. Also, disputed funds may be unavailable while your credit card issuer investigates a fraud claim. In every case, it’s essential to immediately report fraudulent use of any card to protect your rights.

Account alerts are Santa's helpers

Activate real-time alerts on your accounts and cards to keep you informed about transactions as they happen. Alerts can also be set up to help you keep an eye on your spending, payment due dates and account balances. It takes only a minute to customize in Digital Banking, and you can learn more here. Do it today for the holidays, and to monitor your accounts year round.

Don't leave your "card" behind

We’ve all felt the panic of realizing we forgot our plastic card behind at a restaurant. Allowing online merchants to “save” your payment info should cause the same worry because it’s just as risky. Each merchant that you authorized to file your payment info for future convenience needlessly exposes you to security breaches. Take the extra few seconds to re-input your card information for each visit. Better yet, use our convenient Digital Wallet to add a layer of protection between you and merchants who never see your card details because of encryption.

Holiday bonus: Not “saving” your payment info at a merchant might give you a moment to think twice about an online purchase and save you from budget-busting impulse shopping.

Other scams on the naughty list

In the holiday rush, it’s easy to overlook the obvious:

• If a retailer demands only cash app or crypto payment, use another retailer because you will have absolutely no recourse if they don’t deliver what they sold you.
• If you receive an email or text about a delivery you weren’t specifically expecting, do not click or respond in any way. It’s likely a scam that will compromise your device or accounts.
• Keep your devices updated to the most current operating system for the most protection.
• Never provide your password, PIN, or any personal info in response to unsolicited communications. Just hang up or delete unsolicited or suspicious notifications.
• If you receive a digital greeting card, think twice about clicking unless you confirm the sender. Clicking on a link to view the greeting can lead to malware being installed on your device.

Check out more quick tips to stay safe this holiday season.