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It’s that time of year! One filled with joy, laughter, family, and scams. Wait— scams?! Yes, unfortunately, the holiday season is when scammers ramp up their tactics and frequency.

Be careful when shopping online or buying from places that are not official businesses. Remember that you should choose what type of card you pay with online carefully. Always double check that the adorable gift you are so excited to purchase for a loved one is actually what it’s advertis

It’s unfortunate that scammers will utilize good things, like charities, to target their victims. This week’s alert has to do with charity scams. Here is how they work:

Someone contacts you asking for a donation to their charity. It sounds like a group you’ve heard of, it seems real, and you want to help.

But how can you tell what’s a scam?

-Charity scammers, as per usual, want to get your money quickly. They will urge you to donate right away.

-They ask for cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.

-Scammers often refuse to send you information about the charity.

-They won’t answer questions or explain how the money

Most of us have received texts like these, requesting payment for a delivery. The message often includes a link that takes you to a seemingly normal website and requests that you pay $ .99 or some other small sum to get your package delivered.

Watch out! It’s a scam. One person who called the fraud network hotline said the $ .99 charge turned into a $400 scam!

To protect yourself, follow these tips:

 - Don’t click on any link unless you can verify that it’s legitimate.

- If you’re suspicious of a tracking number, check it out.

- Go to the source. If you’re concerned that there might be a problem with a package you’re receiving or have sent, contact the service directly, rather than through the link.

- Guard your personal information

This week’s scam is commonly referred to as a 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒎. These scams occur when scammers on dating sites, Facebook, Instagram, or any online form of communication, pretend to be a romantic interest to an unsuspecting victim.

The scammer will pose as a fake person, even stealing someone’s profile photo. Once a “relationship” is developed with the victim, they will eventually ask for money for an emergency or an investment.

“What sets romance scams apart from other scams, says Mark Solomon, president of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, is that instead of an urgent appeal for immediate payment, as

As the season for traveling approaches, watch out for a few of these common travel scams when planning your holiday vacation!

1. Free or rock-bottom deals: if a deal is way under the value of the trip, it is probably scam. To avoid this common scam, simply walk away from deals that are too good to be true.

2. Rental-car cons: Scammers set up phony customer service numbers online that look just like those of major rental-car companies. When you call, they take your money and personal information, then leave you stranded. To avoid, verify the phone number or website you are using to book a car is legitimate.

3. Airport and hotel Wi-Fi hacks: Connecting to

This week’s scam alert is has to do with fake court officers requesting payment for missing jury duty.