The holidays are often associated with eggnog, Santa and reindeer, but for Atlanta-area consumer rights advocates, this time of year brings to mind fraud, identity theft and scams.
The increase in shopping, travel and charitable donations makes the Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day holiday period the busiest time of year for con artists and other scammers, said Fred Elsberry, president and chief executive of the Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta.
Consumers should remain attentive, even though they would rather focus on family and holiday cheer, he said.
“Don’t let the joy of the season lower your guard when you’re dealing with people you’re not familiar with,” Elsberry said. “Trust your instincts and then verify them.”
Among others, the BBB warns holiday travelers to beware of a relatively new scam involving free Wi-Fi connections.
Hackers take advantage of the busy travel season by setting up fake Wi-Fi connections at airports, allowing people use their personal computers to access the internet. But the connection gives hackers access to those computers. The hacker then steals personal information like passwords, bank account numbers and Social Security numbers.
“More and more people are carrying their business computer with them over the holidays, trying to do a little work and take advantage of the Wi-Fi, so just the sheer numbers make more people susceptible to this Wi-Fi scam,” Elsberry said.
Wi-Fi security issues have been reported at airports across the country, according to the BBB.
To avoid this problem the BBB offers the following advice to holiday travelers:
● Do not connect to unfamiliar wireless networks;
● Disable automatic wireless network connections on your computer;
● Turn off file sharing;
● Create a Virtual Private Network to use a private network across public networks.
Along with the new high-tech scams, holiday con artists also ramp up their efforts to take money from people using older, but still effective rip-off schemes.
The BBB cautions people to avoid the fake check scams that take thousands of dollars from victims every year. Victims receive fake checks that look real and are told to deposit them and wire back a portion of the check amount, leaving the rest for them.
The problem arises when the bank identifies the check as a forgery only after the victim has wired a portion of the check’s supposed value to the con artist.
The Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection told consumers earlier this month to beware of scams involving gift cards, said Shawn Conroy, a spokesman for the agency.
Consumers should avoid purchasing gift cards from online resellers or auctions as the cards often have less value than claimed or are stolen property, Conroy said.
Consumers should also make sure the PIN on a gift card has not been tampered with, according to the consumer protection office. Con artists will often record card numbers and steal PINs, and then use the card once it has been purchased and activated by the store.
“Use a little caution and plan your purchases,” Conroy said.
Scams disguised as philanthropy are holiday staples too.
Consumers should take a few minutes to research a charity that is new to them before donating, Elsberry said. A legitimate charity will not pressure you to give and will readily provide information such as their administrative costs, revenue and how they use their money.
“If you get any hesitation at all, that’s not a charity you want to give to,” Elsberry said. “You want a charity that is transparent.”
For more information about charities and how to protect yourself and loved ones from popular holiday scams visit the Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta at: http://atlanta.bbb.org/
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