Twelve Scams of Christmas (Part 1)

Posted by Robert Siciliano on December 2nd, 2009

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

As cybercriminals begin to take advantage of the holiday season, McAfee has revealed "The Twelve Scams of Christmas," the most dangerous online scams that computer users should be cautious of this holiday season. According to Consumer Reports' 2009 State of the Net Survey, cybercriminals have bilked $8 billion from consumers in the past two years, and McAfee warns consumers not to fall victim to the top scams this year.

"Cybercriminals' use their best schemes during the holidays to steal people's money, credit card information, social security number and identity," said Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee Labs. "These thieves follow seasonal trends and create holiday-related websites, scams and other convincing e-mails that can trick even the most cautious users."

Since I'm on McAfee's Consumer Advisory Board, I'm advising you to beware of the following scams.

1. Charity Phishing Scams – Be Careful Who You Give To

During the holiday season, hackers take advantage of citizens' generosity by sending emails that appear to be from legitimate charitable organizations. In reality, they are fake websites designed to steal donations, credit card information, and the identities of donors.

2. Fake Invoices from Delivery Services to Steal Your Money

During the holidays, cybercriminals often send fake invoices and delivery notifications appearing to be from Federal Express, UPS, or the U.S. Customs Service. They email consumers asking for credit card details to credit back the account, or require users to open an online invoice or customs form to receive the package. Once completed, the person's information is stolen or malware is automatically installed on their computer.

3. Social Networking – A Cybercriminal "Wants to be Your Friend"

Cybercriminals take advantage of this social time of the year by sending authentic-looking "New Friend Request" emails from social networking sites. Internet users should beware that clicking on links in these emails can automatically install malware on computers and steal personal information.

Stay tuned for the rest of the season's top scams. And in the meantime, protect your identity.

Get a credit freeze. Go online now and search "credit freeze" or "security freeze" and go to ConsumersUnion.org and follow the steps for the state you live in. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. And invest in identity theft protection. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but an identity theft protection service can dramatically reduce your risk.

Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses Christmas scams on Mike and Juliet.

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.