Holiday season prime time for scams, thefts

Dec. 1—Holiday shopping season is open season for criminals wanting to steal money or personal information online, according to law enforcement officials.

Oklahomans lost more than $26 million to online scams in 2020, according to the Oklahoma City FBI division.

"Shoppers need to be aware there are unscrupulous people out there working overtime to spoil your holidays," said Alvin Winston, acting special agent in charge. "Remember that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is."

The two most prevalent holiday scams are non-delivery and non-payment crimes, which cost Oklahomans almost $1.7 million last year, according to the FBI. In non-delivery scams, buyers pay for goods or services they find online, never receive what they paid for. In a non-payment scam, the seller is never paid for goods or services that are shipped.

There are other types of crime that occur as well.

"The biggest problem we see locally is porch pirating," said Woodward Police Department Det. Darren Navratil. "Porch pirate is a term for people who walk up on other people's porches and steal packages."

Packages sitting in mailboxes or on porches for long periods of time are at risk.

"Be aware of when items are supposed to be delivered," Navratil said. "If (you) are not going to be home at the time of delivery, make arrangements with a neighbor to pick up packages."

"The Woodward County Sheriff's Office does get calls on a regular basis in reference to scams in our area," said Sheriff Kevin Mitchell. "As the holidays approach, I do anticipate an uptake in scams."

According to Mitchell, there are several types of scams his office sees over and over.

"The first kind is the person has won a prize of some kind, but they are required to send money of banking information in order to claim the prize," Mitchell said. "This second is through a purchase of an item off of the internet and the third is a scam that is usually in the form of a phone call stating there is a warrant for the persons arrest and if they don't send money, law enforcement is going to come and arrest them."

If you do receive one of these or any other type of scam, don't talk to them and especially don't give any of your personal information, Mitchell advises.

"Never wire funds or send prepaid credit cards," Mitchell said. "The request to wire funds or to send a prepaid credit card should be a bright red flag to let you know that what you are dealing with is a scam."

According to Mitchell, most of the scams are from out of state or even out of the country and it is likely that money will never be recovered.

"One should be very careful when shopping online, only purchase from reputable sellers," Mitchell said. "If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

As with any other holiday season, thefts are always a big concern, according to Mitchell.

"Delivered packages left on porches are an easy target as are unlocked vehicles," Mitchell cautioned. "Lets do our best to lock up our valuables."

Mitchell urges everyone to be aware of some basic Holiday shopping safety tips: — Keep your purse close to your body or your wallet in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket. — Don't argue or fight over an item. — Don't take your money out until asked and don't flash a lot of cash. — Use only one credit card. Data breaches have occurred in the past at major retailers and credit card companies. Should something similar occur, you can reduce the risk of having multiple cards compromised. — Save your receipts and monitor your credit card activity by reviewing your bill immediately or periodically checking the online app. — Ask for help moving and loading large items if needed. — If shopping with children, select a central location to meet in case you are separated. Teach kids how to ask a security guard or employee for help if they're lost. — Be patient when looking for a parking space. Don't speed up to catch that empty (or soon-to-be empty) spot, and be cautious of other drivers who do. — Park your vehicle in a well-lit area. — Don't leave anything valuable in your car. — Lock your vehicle. — Make a mental note of where you parked. — Have your keys in hand when walking back to your vehicle. — Look around and under your vehicle before approaching it. — Store shopping bags out of plain sight, in your trunk if possible. — Look for other cars or people, and back out slowly. — Stick to retailers you know and, preferably, have shopped with before. — Research a business you haven't purchased from before by checking customer reviews or complaints with the Better Business Bureau. — Never commit to a deal that seems too good to be true. — Refrain from using public Wi-Fi to make purchases, or use a VPN to avoid hackers intercepting your information. — Check a webpage's security by looking for the lock icon in the URL field, and making sure the URL starts with "https", not just "http". The "s" means the site is safer and more secure.

The FBI also suggests protecting yourself and your wallet during the holiday season by not clicking on any suspicious links or attachments in emails, on websites, or on social media.

Some scams get you to click on links and give up personal information and in some cases, you may unknowingly download malware to your device. Be especially wary if a company asks you to update your password or account information, the FBI suggests.

If you're purchasing from a company for the first time, do your research, check reviews and feedback ratings, the FBI suggests. Especially watch out sellers who post as if they reside in the United States, then respond to questions by stating they are out of the country on business, family emergency, or similar reasons.

Be careful how you pay. Never wire money directly to a seller and avoid paying for items with pre-paid gift cards. Check your credit card statement regularly. If you see a suspicious transaction, contact your credit card company to dispute the charge.

Always get tracking numbers for items you buy online and follow the delivery process.

If you have been scammed, the FBI suggests calling your credit card company or your bank to dispute any suspicious charges. Also contact local law enforcement. Then report the scam immediately to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, which is also a good site to get information about the latest schemes.