Beware Of These Holiday Email Scams

The holiday season brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. Embrace the former and beware of the latter. One place where any of us can be victimized at this time of year is in our email inboxes.

There are a couple of email scams going around now. Watch out for fake emails that look like they're from shopping and shipping sites such as Amazon, FedEx, or UPS. These spoof emails might even include the companies' logos. Typically, the scam emails ask you to login and check your order or shipping status. That's how the scammers infect your hardware with viruses and gain access to your personal information. If you're unsure about an email, you’re better off going directly to the companies' websites rather than clicking any links in an email.

Another holiday scam involves a spoof email that appears to be from your boss or management asking you to purchase gift cards from major retailers such as Amazon, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Target, or Walmart, and then send the codes to them by email. If this sounds like an unlikely request from any of your supervisors, check with them in person or by phone for clarification.