PENNSYLVANIA — With the holiday season, Attorney General Michelle Henry is cautioning Pennsylvanians about an uptick in common scams. These scams often exploit the festive season’s increased online shopping and generosity.
Attorney General Henry warns Pennsylvanians to learn to recognize scams and safeguard their property, finances, and personal information. “It is that special time of year — for an increase in the frequency of scams we see taking place all year long, so it is vital that Pennsylvanians remain on guard,” Attorney General Henry said. “Take some time to learn what these scams look like in order to protect your property, finances, identity, and other personal information.”
According to the Office of Attorney General, these are some of the common scams:
- Email and Text Phishing: Scammers send fraudulent emails or texts, seemingly from shipping companies or retailers, asking you to input personal information on a fake website.
- Delivery Stealing: If no one is home during deliveries, it is advised to arrange for a trusted neighbor to receive your packages or consider having them delivered to your workplace.
- Credit Card Skimming: Be wary of credit card skimmers at ATMs, gas pumps, or payment kiosks. Using a payment app on your smartphone or regularly checking bank statements can help detect unauthorized transactions.
- Romance Scams: Scammers establish seemingly serious relationships, then ask victims to pay for plane tickets, customs fees, visas, or fake money transfers.
- Online Pet Scams: Scammers pose as online pet retailers, charging exorbitant fees for non-existent pets and transportation costs.
- Online Pop-up Advertisements: Avoid clicking on pop-up ads claiming you’ve won a gift or prize, as they may contain viruses or open your device to hacking.
- Online Marketplace Deals: Be skeptical of sellers offering hard-to-find toys and games at discounted prices on peer-to-peer apps and online marketplaces.
Attorney General Henry also recommends several preventative measures:
- Set up email or text alerts with your bank or credit card company for immediate notification of all purchases.
- Regularly update security measures and run virus scans on your computer or mobile device.
- Avoid using smart home devices to find customer support numbers. Instead, use the contact details provided on the company’s official website, your credit or debit card, or billing statement.
- Never use prepaid gift cards, CashApp, or Venmo, or wire money for online purchases. Credit cards offer better protection than debit cards.
- Avoid clicking on hyperlinks in emails, social media ads, or text messages to make purchases. Instead, go directly to the retailer’s website.
- Remember that gift cards are for gifts, not for paying bills or debts owed to the government.
If you suspect that you have fallen victim to a scam, it is important to take immediate action. Report the incident to the police and file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. You can visit their website, send an email to scams@attorneygeneral.gov, or call 1-800-441-2555. Don’t hesitate to protect yourself and others from fraudulent activities.
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