Scammers Spending Money To Promote Fake Websites

Scammers are up to their usual and new tricks this holiday season.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You’ve got to spend some money to make some money,” and the Wyoming AARP says scammers are using that business logic for their own means.

When you go online to a search engine to look something up, sometimes the first result on the list isn’t always the best.

Some scammers are spending advertising dollars to promote a fake website, in hopes that the site is one of the first ones at the top of a search list. (Click here for more information)

The holiday season may be a time for giving, but sometimes it can be hard to tell which charities are real, and which are fake.

It’s best to research the charity that you are thinking about donating to, before you open your wallet. Gift cards are also a popular choice during the holidays, and criminals are aware of this. (Click here for more information)

The AARP says criminals can manipulate gift cards on racks and can also use software to look online for activated cards with balances. 

It may be safest to purchase a gift card directly from the card issuer’s website versus purchasing off a rack at a physical store.

26% of survey respondents have said they have given or received a gift card that ended up having no balance on it.