It’s that time of the year again for holiday parties, family traditions, ugly sweaters and… scams? Yes, that’s right. Now that the holiday season has begun, many of us are sharing, shopping and booking travel online – even more than we normally do.
And scammers know that with all that money and personal information floating around, they have a big opportunity. Using techniques like phishing, social engineering, fake charities and infected USB drives, cybercriminals can invade your privacy and drain your bank account. Don’t let these hackers and thieves dampen your holiday cheer. To help you stay safe this season, McAfee has compiled a list of the 12 Scams of the Holidays. Check it out and educate yourself on what scams you need to look out for this holiday season.
Here’s some tips to help you stay safe during the holidays:
Be careful when clicking Don’t click on links in email or social media messages from people you don’t know, and use a URL expander to know what site you are going to before clicking on a shortened URL.
Be suspicious
If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Practice safe surfing
Use a Web safety advisor, such as McAfee® SiteAdvisor®, that protects you from going to risky sites.
Avoid public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi might be convenient but it’s also accessible to anyone who wants to see what you are doing online.
Shop safely online
Make sure you stick to reputable e-commerce sites that have been verified as safe by a third-party Trustmark, like McAfee SECURE™. Also look for “https” at the beginning of a site’s URL, which indicates that the site is using encryption to protect your information.
Use security software on all your devices
Make sure you have comprehensive security protection, like McAfee LiveSafe™ service, for all your devices, including your mobile phone and tablet that also safeguards your data and includes identity protection.
