Thanksgiving is just a few days away, which means the biggest holiday shopping day of the year is right around the corner and so are holiday scams. FOX 13’s Danielle Zulkosky reports.
TAMPA, Fla. – Experts are warning about scams around this time of year to help prevent a tragic end to the holiday season.
“Be aware that over 50% of everything they’ll see online is probably a scam during that time of year,” said Bezalel Eithan Raviv, the CEO of Lionsgate Network.
Raviv said if it is too good to be true, it probably is.
How to avoid holiday scams
What you can do:
You should ask yourself: does this deal make sense? If the answer is no, take a step back and reconsider giving this person money.
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“If you are offered a coupon or any kind of gift card that is given to you at a very surprising price, this should be enough of a red flag,” Raviv explained.
Also, if someone is pressuring you to give them money and quickly, that’s another sign this is a scam.
“It’s the end-of-the-year pressure where scammers use this as a weapon,” Raviv said. “Donate fast, invest fast, and trust fast. Don’t do that.”
It is important to note that a brand or vendor likely will not approach you.
“If you are being approached by an organization, a company, or any kind of vendor to interact with them, make sure to understand that normally serious vendors will never solicit you for any kind of consumption,” Raviv said.
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Why you should care:
It is a common misconception that only the elderly are scammed, when actually all ages can fall victim.
Raviv said one out of three people aged 25 to 30 will be targeted by scammers and one out of two targets will fall victim.
What they’re saying:
“What we see quite a spike around is crypto scams, where people actually purchase tokens, cryptocurrencies, tokens, and the source is illegitimate,” Raviv shared.
Keep your eyes peeled. Check to make sure emails, texts and other messages are coming from legitimate sources.
You can even hang up the phone and call back if you think a call might be a scammer.
“Don’t fall for it because these vendors will not take the time to communicate with you or solicit you with product, gifts or any kind of advertisement. So just watch out because that’s what scammers do,” Raviv said. “They don’t wait and sit for you to join the party. They basically trigger an emotional factor and that’s where people are most around the holiday times.” Â
The Source: Information in this story comes from interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.