’Tis the Season To Be Wary

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for phishers, fraudsters and crooks. Cyber criminals rake in millions every year between October and January with scams designed to exploit increased online activity for holiday shopping and open enrollment for insurance benefits. Studies indicate that cybercrime increases by up to 40 percent this time of year when people tend to be busier and more distracted than normal.

Here are a five types of exploits you should watch out for:

• Phishing attacks

With more people shopping online, they naturally receive lots of invoices, receipts, order confirmations and shipping alerts by email or text message. As such, they are more likely to open infected attachments.

• Missed deadline scams

Scammers will call, text or email you warning that you have missed the deadline for insurance enrollment. They will offer to get you enrolled without penalty — if you’ll just provide your Social Security number and other personal information.

• Social media scams

Scammers often use social media platforms to offer fake giveaways and contests, usually in order to redirect you to a spoofed site or otherwise steal personal information. They frequently offer incredible deals or amazing rewards to get you to act quickly without considering the risk.

• Charity fraud

Fraudsters commonly pose as representatives of charitable organizations around the holidays when consumers tend to be in generous mood. To be safe, verify the organization is legitimate and donate directly through their website rather than by phone or email.

• Impersonation scams

Scammers impersonate a legitimate sender to trick recipients into giving up information or money. For example, they may pose as insurance providers or retail representatives offering free gifts or limited-time offers to redirect you to a malicious site.