Give the gift of security awareness

Gift cards have fewer consumer protections, making them one of social actors’ absolute favorite stocking stuffers.

Follow these steps to keep your employees and your organization safe:

• Don’t buy gift cards from social media sites
• Don’t purchase gift cards from auction sites
• Exercise caution when purchasing from new-to-you third-party websites specifically requesting gift card payments

Fake shipping notifications are a favorite phishing E-mail for holiday scammers.

The E-mails may look credible, but don’t let your team be fooled. Clicking on a link in a phony shipping notification E-mail provides an opening for hackers to download malware onto your team’s devices and gain access to them.

Keep your team informed and alert of this common holiday phishing ploy.

• Be suspicious of E-mails with panicked subject lines such as:
  • DELIVERY ISSUE!
  • Delivery Failure Notification
• Always lot into the real site – never click the link within the E-mail

Social actors create fake charities to exploit the good nature of those around them.  

Do your research before giving to any charitable organization.

• Never give in the form of gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
• Confirm a charity’s legitimacy through such organizations as Charity Navigator or the FTC

Beware of fake holiday websites or storefronts, otherwise known as copycat websites.  Such sites might look legitimate from known retailers but were, in fact, created by holiday scammers. 

Follow this advice to stay safe while shopping online this holiday season:

• Don’t be pressured. Take your time and evaluate the webpage
• Always check the website URL before completing a purchase
• If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is