CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It may be the 12 days of Christmas but did you know it's also the 12 scams of Christmas?
Even though the Christmas holiday is just a few days away, more people than ever still are shopping online and, in turn, creating the perfect opportunity for scammers.
MORE: Paul Mueller has some tips for avoiding social media scams this year.
Convenience, the pandemic and supply-chain concerns: All three have more of us shopping online this holiday season, and that's why experts are predicting even more scams this year.
“The bad guys have more time,” said AT&T tech expert Krista Kouns. “They're taking advantage of that increased online traffic.”
Kouns said product scams are huge right now. One of the possible reasons, she says, is that shoppers may be at the point where they're willing to take risks.
"A lot of people are waiting on these packages, and it could be an easy time to prey on these people,” she said. “Especially like what we talked about the supply-chain backlog. So everybody's going to these different websites to try to get their items in time for the holidays."
Then there are emails or text messages claiming to be from well-known companies saying there's something wrong with your order, or even your account. When it comes to that, the Better Business Bureau's Katie Galan has this warning.
"So if you're receiving something from Amazon or Apple — those are the ones we see a lot — if they are going to contact you in that way, you have to have opted-in to receive this communication,” she said.
Not only that, but look for spelling or grammar mistakes, low-resolution images and poor writing.
And when it comes to links they send you?
“Definitely don't click on any links you receive in emails that are unsolicited, because that will do one of two things,” Galan said. “It's either going to redirect you to a phishing website that's going to try and take your personal or financial information, or it can be installing malware onto your device.”
Malware swipes all your stored information on your device. So instead, experts say Google the company, go to their official website, and contact them that way.
“You've got to pay attention to those fine details and keep your guard up,” said Kouns.
For more information on the Better Business Bureau’s 12 Scams of Christmas: https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23497-the-naughty-list-bbbs-12-scams-of-christmas
