Beware Of These 5 Scams In NJ This Holiday Season

❤️ It's common knowledge that most people are more giving during the holidays.

❤️ People are usually looking for ways to help out this time of year.

❤️ It's important that you don't fall for any scams.

People are so quick to want to do their part around the holidays. It is a time of giving, after all.

Usually, people want to do go the extra mile to do something for the people in their community, their favorite charity, or just people in need this time of year.

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While it's beautiful that so many here in the Garden State aren't quick to forget the real reason for the season, it's important to note that you're more likely to be taken advantage of this time of year.

The most common ways for scammers to get the better of you around the holidays are by either collecting money form you, or worse, getting your personal information and using it against you.

According to the book Street Smart Safety for Women: Your Guide to Defensive Living, there are five ways by which you're most likely to be duped during the holiday season. It's important to not let your generosity and trusting heart get the better of you.

1.) Package Delivery Scams

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The authors of the book mentioned above are Technologist and Domestic Violence Survivor, Laura Frombach, and Former Deputy Sheriff, Joy Farrow. They say that it's common for scammers to trick you into thinking there was a delivery made in error. You'd receive an email from a scammer that looks like a fraudulent deliver email, which would lead you to click the link. That's one way of obtaining your information to use to their advantage, not yours.

2.) Gift Cards

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Sometimes, you might come across something that looks like all you have to do to get a free gift card to one of your favorite stores is by entering your information. Nine times out of ten, that's not real. Don't fall for it.

3.) Fake Charities

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If people come to your door asking for money either a charity you've never heard of or one so popular that you wouldn't even bat an eye over, be extremely cautious. Your "donation" could be going directly into their personal pocketbooks. Long story short, they could be posers not working for any charity at all. They will pocket your money and you'd be none the wiser.

4.) Fraudulent Online Stores

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Obviously, you know not to trust every site on the internet. It's common for scammers to set up fake online storefronts in an effort to make you think you're getting done some holiday shopping. In reality, it's not real.

5.) "Romantic Scams"

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That's what the authors call it. They're referring to people who trick you into thinking you're establishing a relationship via a dating app or a website, only to guilt you into sending them money for phony hardships they claim to be going through around the holidays.

This isn't to say that you shouldn't be generous this time of year. Rather, it's important to use due diligence when determining who to distribute your kindness to so you don't fall victim to any of this.

Just be careful.

Source: Amazon.com