Imagine Andy Williams singing, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and it may be for many people, but it is not so wonderful if you have been scammed by scammers who really do find the holiday shopping season to be the most wonderful time of the year – for them.  Today’s scam of the day will be the first of many that I will be doing that deal with holiday shopping scams.  I received an email today showing me how I could get iPad 2s and iPhones at 90% discounts by clicking on links and ordering them online.  If I had clicked on the links, all I would have succeeded in doing would have been paying electronically for goods that I never would have received.  Meanwhile, by clicking on the links, I also would have run the risk of unknowingly downloading keystroke logging malware that could have stolen all of the information from my computer, such as my Social Security number, credit card number and other financial data and made me a victim of identity theft.

TIPS

If an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is.  Scammers always pick the most popular and expensive items to lure people into sending them money for goods that never are delivered.  Never click on links in emails, tweets or text messages unless you are sure the communications are legitimate and it is hard to do so without calling the legitimate company because even if it truly appears to be coming from a legitimate person or entity, their email, twitter, or smart phone may have been hacked into and the communication you receive is from a scammer.  Only deal with companies that you know are legitimate and confirm that you are actually on a website that you know is legitmate because phony websites can look quite good.