SL;DR: Holiday season or not, scammers aren’t taking a break. With online orders rising into 2024–2025, fake order confirmations and tech-support scams are everywhere. Criminals send urgent texts, emails, or calls claiming there’s a suspicious purchase, delivery issue, or account problem—hoping you’ll panic and hand over credit card info, bank details, or remote access to your device.
The festive season is coming to a close, but keeping up with the holiday scams continues. They are everywhere and still prowl after your money. Amazon and other companies have sent emails advising their customers on protecting themselves against scams, yet we can apply the advice to every measure you take online. Below are some of the most common scams, and we need to be aware that online orders will increase in 2024 and into 2025.
Order confirmation scams
These are unsought phone calls, texts, or emails frequently asking you to confirm or reverse a clandestine transaction. These scammers attempt to trick you into giving them your credit card number or bank account information, installing software on your computer or other devices, or buying gift cards. If you order from Amazon, you can check your orders by logging into your account if you received contact about an order you weren’t anticipating. Your order history will only contain legitimate purchases, and customer service is accessible around the clock to help.
These scams often create a sense of urgency or panic, claiming that your account will be suspended, a large payment is pending, or a suspicious purchase was made in your name. The goal is to make you react before thinking, clicking a fake link or calling a fraudulent number provided in the message. Always take a moment to pause and verify. Never use the contact information in the message itself—go directly to the retailer’s official website or app. Remember, legitimate companies will never pressure you to share personal information, payment details, or download software to “fix” an issue with your order.
Holiday Scams Technical support
During the busy holiday season, when online shopping spikes and people are rushing to get gifts, these fake tech support sites become even more convincing. Scammers often copy the exact look and feel of trusted brands, using official logos, familiar color schemes, and web addresses that differ by just one letter or symbol. Once they have your attention, they may ask you to share personal details, install remote-access software, or pay a “service fee” to resolve a fake problem. To protect yourself, always double-check the website address before entering any information and remember that real customer support will never ask for your password, credit card number, or access to your computer.
Here are some important tips for identifying scams and keeping your accounts and information safe:
- Trust your legitimate company channels. Always use your ordering company’s mobile app or website when contacting customer service, tech assistance, or making account changes.
- Be wary of false urgency. This is a true-tell of a holiday scam. Con artists may instill a sense of urgency to get you to comply with their desires. Be skeptical whenever someone attempts to persuade you to take immediate action.
- Never pay over the phone. As a standard rule, Amazon and other legitimate companies would never request payment information via phone for goods or services, including gift cards, known as verification cards.
For more scam information, visit my December 23, 2002, post on staying safe over the holidays. Remember that these scams are year-round, and our vigilance should also be.
What you can do
Follow cyber-safe best practices throughout the new year, like monitoring and avoidance; you will help yourself and your family protect against all scams. You can download our mobile app, FRAUDSTER, available on Apple and Android, to learn more about consumer concerns. Learn more at www.FraudsterApp.com
If you’ve already downloaded the FraudsterApp, click the training icon on the home screen to learn to protect yourself. In the meantime, share tips to be part of the solution
