Don’t get scrooged: Your essential guide to spotting and stopping holiday scams

Christmas is the most stressful time of year. When you’re planning your festivities or buying your mountain of presents, the last thing you need is to fall prey to a phishing email or online scam. Whether it be the illusion of a good deal or a message from a relative, scammers and hackers prey on your more absent-minded moments to strike gold.

The problem with falling for one of these online scams is that you can’t easily remove this lump of coal from your stocking. Once a scammer has hold of your personal information, it’s not as easy as you’d think to get it back. Thankfully, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We at PCMag have some tricks up our sleeves to help you avoid any holiday scams that come your way.

How to spot a scam

Scams are the chameleon of the online world. They come in many forms, such as texts from family or friends, or links and attachments from businesses and government organisations. Though you might think your eagle eye can tell a legitimate email from a fake, you may not have the tools you need to spot them right away. Before you click on something you don’t fully trust, here are a couple of things to look out for:

• Suspicious links or attachments: Scammers love a good ruse, and the best way to gain access to someone's personal data is often through deceptive links that trick victims into giving up their information. These attacks often feature strange URLs with hidden add-ons you wouldn’t be familiar with. When sent an email with an attachment you’re unsure about, the safest policy is to never click.

• Unrecognisable email address or website: Have you received a message or text from a name or number you don’t immediately recognise? The chances are high you’re about to be scammed. These messages may promise an unmissable opportunity or deal in exchange for your personal information.

• Requests for personal details (such a bank or PayID): The promise of money is a classic manipulation tactic for scammers. They’ll try to entice you into giving up your BSB or bank details in exchange for ‘free money’ or ‘surprise winnings’. When receiving these kinds of messages or emails, it is a safe bet they’re a scam. Nothing ever comes that easy.

• Threatening or urgent wording: Nothing motivates better than fear. When scammers are attempting to get their way, they may resort to aggressive language or explicit threats to get their point across. If you’re facing threats of account closure, fines, or legal action (from MyGov, your bank, or the taxation office) in exchange for clicking unverified links, you know you have a scam on your hands.

How to prevent a scam

Preventing scams and hacks before they happen is the best form of online protection. This can be through setting up anti-virus software to spot and block malware or Trojan’s before they take hold or through using AI-powered assistants to run suspicious emails and links through before clicking. If you need extra protection to keep your devices safe, Bitdefender has suite of security products and services to keep you covered.

• Bitdefender Total Security: Staying on top of your cybersecurity should be number one on your priority list. Bitdefender Total Security will keep you completely protected with real-time data defense and regular insights into your device’s defences. It will even alert you to any vulnerabilities located across Windows, masOS, IOS and Android, ensuring they are patched up before any lurker is the wiser.

• Bitdefender Premium Security: If you fear hidden spyware setting up shop on your devices, Bitdefender Premium Security will ease your mind. With an unlimited VPN and AI-powered protection (including Anti-Tracker, Microphone Monitor, and Webcam Protection), you can rest easy knowing nobody will be watching your online activity.

• Bitdefender Ultimate Security: As the top-of-the-line option for all-around digital protection, Bitdefender Ultimate Security features some of the strongest malware defence you can find. With built-in Fraud Protection, a powerful privacy firewall, and dark web monitoring, your online identity will be under tight lock and key.

• Bitdefender Scamio: Has a potential scam hit your inbox? Instead of ignoring it and hoping it disappears, Bitdefender Scamio will verify its legitimacy for you. Simply send any suspicious messages, links, emails or QR codes to this AI-powered scam detector, and you’ll know if you’re dealing with a dangerous security threat.

Stay safe this holiday season

As the holiday season intensifies, your online security needs may be the last thing on your mind. But before you fall prey to any ‘one-of-a-kind deals’ or messages from long lost family members asking for holiday money, Bitdefender has everything you need to secure your online data.