Stay Safe in Eastern Iowa This Holiday and Avoid These Scams!

Scammers don't just target grandparents anymore—they’re after all of us! I swear, at least once a week I get a text saying I need to click a link to verify my Amazon order. Um, newsflash: I don’t even have an Amazon account! I know it’s hard to believe, but I really don’t have an account.  So that one’s a hard pass for me.  My wife has the account 😊 Boom, in-your-face scammer type of person.

Chances are, you’ve had your own run-ins with scams, and with the holidays coming up, you’ll probably see even more. Trust me, they’re out there, like holiday gremlins waiting to strike. And remember, you never feed scamming holiday Gremlins after midnight.

The Gazette reported that Iowans lost roughly $60 million in 2023 to scams.

It's crazy the amount of spam and scam emails ya get these days.  We just went through a training session teaching us the best way to root out scams along with phishing emails and texts, so let me share a few things we learned to keep you safe this holiday season. 

The first Rule of thumb

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You know the drill—scammers love posing as someone they are not to get your personal info. Don’t fall for it! If they say it can’t wait, it probably should! Scammers create a sense of urgency, and they don’t want you to stop and think until it’s too late.   

Clicking Could Be Tricking

The holidays make everyone feel extra generous, which means scammers get extra sneaky. Watch out for fake charity emails asking for donations. If you want to spread the holiday cheer, visit the charity’s official website directly, rather than clicking on a suspicious email link.  

That goes for any email.  It was recommended to me by an IT friend years ago.  He said don’t click any link.  Visit the website yourself and get the info or request it. Then he would send masked links that contained just the worst images and text imaginable with notes saying, “I told you not to click on links.” Thanks, John.   

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How could I not? It said, "the best cheesecake recipe ever!" Then it’s just pictures of car crash victims and not one cheesecake to be found.   Frowny face for no cheesecake.  

Beware the Greeting Card 

And speaking of emails, be wary of those electronic greeting cards. If you don’t recognize the sender or spot a ton of spelling mistakes, it’s probably not a warm holiday wish—it could be malware. Spelling mistakes are a huge red flag when sniffing out scams.  

The WiFi of the Public and for the Public

If you’re shopping online from a coffee shop or the Eastern Iowa airport lounge, steer clear of public Wi-Fi. It’s like inviting hackers into your personal data. And when your bank and credit card statements arrive next month, give them a careful once-over. Unauthorized charges? Not on your watch. 

Stay safe out there and Happy Holidays!