The holiday season is the time of year when we are so busy and rushed, that it's very easy to fall for a scam.
Sandra Guile of the Better Business Bureau explained "people are feeling generous, a lot of times they let their guard down a bit, and they are not paying as close attention to their wallet."
So the Better Business Bureau is warning about the 9 top holiday scams to avoid for 2015.
- The Secret Sister Gift Exchange on Facebook.
"You put your name on the list and you will be blessed with 36 additional gifts, as long as you get your friends on Facebook on that list," Guile said.
- Counterfeit designer clothing, sold by websites with no address.
A few months ago, a woman named Cammy told us she was scammed this way.
"Three of the dresses are the wrong size, one is damaged, I got five instead of 6," she said,
Other holiday scams include:
- Phony holiday jobs, offered by fake websites phishing for your personal info.
- Phony e-Cards
- Fake letters from Santa, that show up in your inbox.
All may be are stuffed with malware for your computer.
"If you open up that e-Card, it's going to download malicious software, which is then going to screw up your hard drive, it can then go after your personal data," Guile said.
Among others:
- Sound-alike charities that call you for money.
- Fraudulent 50% off coupons to Kohl's or Target, being shared on Facebook.
- The Grandparent Scam, where a foreign scammer calls claiming to be your grandson.
- Puppy scams on Craigslist.
Jeanne Burisch fell for a puppy scam last year at this time, sending hundreds of dollars to scammer.
"You just get drawn in," she said.
The seller wants you to send shipping and insurance money for cute Christmas puppies that don't really exist.
My advice? Be skeptical of any offer for a freebie that sounds too good to be true.
That way you don't waste your money.
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