Avoid getting hustled during the holiday bustle

The holiday hustle and bustle has officially begun! There’s a lot to do — and a lot to purchase — before the year is out. But in your haste, don’t throw caution to the wintry wind. With billions in consumer gift-buying crammed into a matter of a few frenzied weeks, the pandemonium is a bonanza for retailers and scam artists alike.

By the way, being a tech-savvy millennial affords me and my cohorts no special protection. According to Norton’s 2016 Cyber Security Insights Report, we’re the most likely to be scammed online of any generation, with 40 percent of us having experienced some sort of cybercrime this past year!

Here are some tips to keep all of us from being hustled during this year’s holiday bustle.

4 tips for buying tech this holiday season

Fake charities

The holidays are a time to count blessings, so naturally many of us make donations to those in need. It’s also a time for fake charities to pop up all over the country. The easiest way to ensure the charity you are giving to is legitimate is to check with the Better Business Bureau. You might also want to ensure that your donation is being put to good use. Inquire with the charity you’re considering how much of their proceeds actually go to those in need. Is it 90 cents of every one of my hard-earned dollars or just 9 cents?

Package theft

With the steady rise of online shopping comes ever-more deliveries to our homes. It doesn’t get any easier for thieves. They’re taking packages right off of our doorsteps. According to the United States Postal Service, there will be 750 million packages delivered this holiday season — that’s 5 million per day. This is a 12 percent increase over the approximate 670 million that were delivered in 2015. According to InsuranceQuotes.com, about 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their doorsteps at some point. Have your package delivered to your office or pick it up at your local post office, UPS or FedEx store. You can also schedule delivery times for when you know someone will be at home or require a signature upon delivery.

Online scams

As we frantically scramble to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones, we might venture onto some sites that we normally wouldn’t. These fraudulent “phishing” sites oftentimes look absolutely legitimate but actually exist just to collect your personal and payment information as you key it in or by planting malware on your computer. Again, check the Better Business Bureau to ensure that companies you’re doing business with are legit. Also, always use PayPal or a credit card protection service so that you don’t input your credit card directly into the website.

Phishing and malware can also come at you via phony email called spam — again, which looks incredibly authentic. Never open email or attachments from any source you’re not certain about. Be aware that legitimate organizations will never request sensitive information via email and almost no bank will ask for any kind of information unless you’ve initiated the contact yourself. Most of the spam we receive comes to us because a legitimate website we’ve visited has sold our email information to a third party. Chick the privacy policy of all the websites you use to see if they sell mailing lists.

Gift cards 

We all give them and we all get them. Which is why gift card fraud is another scam on the rise. Scammers will copy the codes off the back of gift cards before they’re purchased and then wait for them to be activated to drain the funds. If you are buying cards this season, make sure back of the card isn’t scratched off or tampered with in any way before you purchase it. Some retailers allow you to register the card, which I highly suggest so that no one can use it except for the intended recipient.

Make the most of the mayhem. Enjoy the excitement. Spread cheer. Count your blessings. And keep the hustle out of the bustle by watching out for scams and theft!

Jennifer Pagliara is a financial adviser with CapWealth Advisors. Her column appears every other week in The Tennessean. For more information, visit www.capwealthadvisors.com.