Holiday cyber scams are becoming increasingly common.
According to the FBI, thousands of people fall victim to vacation scams every year. The two most common scams are non-delivery and non-payment crimes.
In a no-delivery scam, a buyer pays for goods or services they find online, but those items are never received. Alternatively, a no-payment scam involves shipping goods or services – but the seller never gets paid.
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2021 report, 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 coffee shop, taken on 18/24/2016.
((Photo by James Sheppard/Future via Getty Images))
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In addition, the agency said another $173 million in losses were caused by credit card fraud.
Another scam to watch out for is auction scams where a product is misrepresented on an auction site and gift card scams.
Here’s a look at five cyber scams to watch out for this year, according to Norton.
Close-up of a businessman working at a desk with a smartphone and laptop, taken on January 31, 2019.
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Clicking links for fake orders
Hackers mimic major retailers and share links that indicate something is wrong with your order.
Support non-existent charities
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Check the organizations you donate to before making a donation.
DALLAS, TX – SEPTEMBER 21, 2017: A woman uses her smartphone while waiting to board a plane at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
((Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images))
Shopping on fake websites
Stay skeptical of incredibly low offers and suspicious looking websites.
Use of gift cards for purchases
Cyber criminals posing as sellers often suggest gift cards as a method of payment. They can request an electronic version of the card and once they have that information they will use it to buy whatever they want with the gift card. Stick to credit card purchases.
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Do not use airport WiFi
Instead of using the airport WiFi, protect your business and yourself by sticking to password-protected services.