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/QPFC[(TKFC[COsRO26 One of the most common
rackets is for would-be
thieves in stores to peel back
the stickers covering gift
card PINs. They also write
down the card number.
Then they go online after
the card has been activated
and try to make a purchase
with whatever balance
remains.
Some scammers use the
brute-force method, em-
ploying software programs
to try out every possible
combination of card num-
ber and PIN on a retailer’s
website.
If they luck into a work-
ing combo, they can either
use the card themselves or
sell the info online.
Always check to make
sure a card’s packaging
hasn’t been tampered with
and that the PIN sticker is
in place. Also, don’t peel
away the sticker or scratch
off the PIN covering until
you’re ready to use the card.
Cards purchased online
aren’t as easily messed with
as cards purchased in
stores. Also, cards stocked
behind the cashier’s counter
are safer than cards that are
unattended on a rack.
One other thought: If you
receive a gift card, use it. It’s
estimated that more than
$45 billion in unused gift
card balances have piled up
over the last 15 years, which
is just free money for stores.
If you don’t use up all
yours, think about selling
remaining card balances on
sites such as Cardpool and
CardCash.Phishing
Email inboxes are being
inundated with messages
and freebies that appear to
be from prominent retailers.
Some are undoubtedly legit.
But in many cases, that
super-cool offer is a ruse to
get you to hand over person-
al information or download
a malicious program.
I receive such emails
ostensibly from Amazon
several times a week.
They’re fake.
Costco announced the
other day that what looks
like a Facebook link to a free
$75 coupon is actually a
hoax. “Costco is NOT giving
away $75 coupons,” the
company warned. “While we
love our fans and our mem-
bers, this offer is a SCAM,
and in no way affiliated with
Costco.”
Make it a part of your
digital hygiene to never click
links from sources you don’t
recognize.
If you have doubts, hover
your cursor over the link
and see what comes up. If
it’s a straightforward URL,
especially for a recognizable
brand, you’re probably OK.
If it’s a long string of gobble-
dygook, back off.
Paul Stephens, director
of policy and advocacy for
San Diego’s Privacy Rights
Clearinghouse, warned
about the growing threat of
so-called dark patterns.
“These are websites that
try to trick you into up-
grades, additional pur-
chases or more expensive
shipping options by default-
ing to these more expensive
options in subtle ways that
may not be readily appar-
ent,” he said.
Watch out for pre-
checked boxes that commit
you to things you might not
want, such as permission to
share your personal infor-
mation with marketers.Sneaky emails
You may receive an email
from what seems to be a
reputable online payment
service such as PayPal
confirming a recent pur-
chase.
However, you may not
recall making such a pur-chase.
That’s what scammers
are counting on.
The email will include a
link to dispute or cancel the
suspicious order. Clicking
on it, however, will take you
to a bogus site that will ask
for personal info, such as
your name, address and
credit card number.
Always deal directly with
retailers. If the email is
confirming an order from,
say, Victoria’s Secret that
you don’t recognize, don’t
click the link. Call Victoria’s
Secret.
Along these same lines,
watch out for emails that
purport to be from a ship-
ping company such as Fed-
Ex or UPS alerting you that
your package is delayed.
These emails also may
contain links that seek to
rob you of personal info or
download a virus into your
computer.
If you have the slightest
doubt, call the shipper with
any questions.Fake charities
This is a particularly
revolting racket because it
preys on people’s desire to
do good during the season
of giving.
It’s now a sad reality that
after any tragedy — a fire, an
earthquake, a shooting —
fake charities instantly popup trying to exploit people’s
eagerness to help others.
“Scammers — opportun-
ists that they are — are
relying on generous con-
sumers to use their hearts,
and not their heads, when
donating to a charity or
cause in the holiday spirit,”
said Lauren Hall, a policy
advocate with Consumer
Action.
Protect yourself by
avoiding solicitations from
any foundation or charity
you don’t recognize. Or
make a habit of checking
out any such entity on chari-
ty rating sites such as Chari-
ty Navigator and
CharityWatch.
Make no mistake, help-
ing others in need is a very
good thing. Donating to
worthy causes is a very good
thing. Just be careful.Relatives in distress
Perhaps the nastiest of
scams, this is where a call
arrives from someone claim-
ing to be in a position of
authority — a police officer,
an FBI agent — informing
you that a loved one is in
trouble.
“This is a scam of oppor-
tunity and the holiday sea-
son is the perfect opportuni-
ty to play on victims’ emo-
tions,” South Dakota’s
attorney general, along with
other state officials nation-wide, warned last year at
this time.
Also known as the grand-
parent scam because it
frequently targets seniors,
victims are instructed to
wire money (or gift card
numbers) to some far-flung
location to get their kin
released from jail.
“Scammers know all the
buttons to push,” said John
Breyault, vice president of
the National Consumers
League. “They may swear
the grandparent to secrecy,
insist the money is needed
right away, and use personal
information gleaned from
social media to make their
pitches sound convincing.”
This is an elaborate and
aggressive con.
I wrote last year about a
Central Coast resident who
spent 20 hours being run all
over the Southland and
robbed of thousands of
dollars by fraudsters claim-
ing his daughter had been
kidnapped.
If you receive such a call,
the FBI says, hang up.
Oh, and happy holidays.David Lazarus’ column runs
Tuesdays and Fridays. He
also can be seen daily on
KTLA-TV Channel 5 and
followed on Twitter
@davidlaz. Send tips or
feedback to david.lazarus
@latimes.com.It’s holiday time, so beware of scammers
SCAMMERSuse fake emails that initially appear authentic to trick unsuspecting
consumers into providing sensitive personal and financial information.Antonio GuillemGetty Images/iStockphoto[Lazarus, from C1]