 TITLE: Safe Online Shopping for the Holidays and Beyond CONTENT: Be a Social Skeptic\n-------------------\nSocial scams are becoming more common. Classically, these include phishing emails that capture your account or payment information by pretending to be a familiar vendor, or scam calls that attempt the same thing by phone. Social media is the new frontier for these scams, so keep your eyes out there as well.\n*   **Beware of social media ads.** These often offer \"too good to be true\" pricing on your favorite items, but may simply exist to take your credit card information and leave you empty handed, or otherwise disappointed. Before making purchases, conduct some research into the company, keeping a special eye out for any customer complaints. If something seems off, it's often best to trust your gut. If the deal they're offering is vastly better than what's being charged by websites you know and trust, be leery. Also be skeptical of ads claiming a merchant has stock of widely sold-out items as well, such as video game consoles, as they may simply be looking to take advantage of desperate consumers.\n*   **Look out for email phishing scams.** If you receive an email informing you of account irregularities—or anything else—don't click on any links in the email. Instead, ignore the email and go directly to the company's site. Call the support number listed on the website directly if you have any questions. If an email looks unusual, or is sent from an address you don't recognize, stay extra vigilant.\n*   **Be wary of social engineering phone calls.** Here's the scenario: Someone's calling to let you know your account has been hacked. They ask you to read back the authentication code they just texted so they can verify your identity and fill you in on what's happened. Don't go along with it. Scammers may call to ask for all kinds of personal information or for a two-factor authentication code they need to log in to your account. They may even pose as a favorite charity looking for a donation. Hang up and, if you have any doubts, contact the company or charity organization directly to follow up. END