The holidays bring out generosity, good food, family traditions and unfortunately, scammers who know people are spending more, clicking faster, and juggling a dozen things at once.
That “delivery problem” text? Maybe not FedEx.
The “bank representative” calling about suspicious activity? Maybe not your bank.
That unbelievable online deal? It may be unbelievable for a reason.
Fraudsters thrive on urgency. They want you worried enough, excited enough, or distracted enough to act before you think. So this holiday season, give yourself one simple rule: pause before you pay, click, or share. If someone contacts you claiming to be your bank, hang up and call your banker directly using a number you already trust. Never give out your PIN, CVV, online banking ID, passwords, or one-time security codes in response to an unexpected call, text, or email. Keep an eye on your accounts. Catching suspicious activity quickly can make a major difference.
For business owners, the same principle applies, but the stakes can be even higher. Dual approvals, account alerts, employee training, secure login practices, and fraud-management tools can add valuable layers of protection. Scammers are counting on you being busy. Make them work harder. If something doesn’t feel right? Don’t worry about being overly cautious. Call your bank and ask.
A five-minute conversation is a whole lot better than explaining to the family why Santa’s budget suddenly disappeared!
Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements, and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media LLC (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses, or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability, or timeliness of any content submitted, inclusive of materials generated or composed through artificial intelligence (AI). All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party.
