The holiday season brings a lot of seasonal activities: family gatherings, gift lists, and — every single year — a dramatic surge in financial scams. From Halloween through New Year’s, fraudsters ramp up their activity because they know you’re busy, distracted, and spending more than usual online. It’s not a matter of being careless. These scams are sophisticated, and they’re designed to fool people like you — someone good at paying attention, but swept up in the excitement of the season.
A little awareness goes a long way. Here’s what’s circulating this season, how to recognize it, and exactly what to do if something feels off.
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The Scams Most Active Right Now
Phishing texts and emails disguised as shipping notifications are among the most common, and most effective, scams of the holiday season. You order something online, and a few days later, you get a text that looks exactly like a UPS or FedEx alert. It asks you to click a link to “confirm your delivery address” or “pay a small redelivery fee.” That link takes you somewhere designed to harvest your login credentials or payment information.
Fake charity appeals spike every fall, too. Scammers create convincing donation pages that mimic real nonprofits, sometimes using names and branding nearly identical to legitimate organizations. If a charity email showed up in your inbox out of nowhere, treat it with skepticism before you give.
Online shopping fraud rounds out the big three. Ads for deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media, sometimes lead to sites that take your payment and never ship a thing, or that collect your card number and disappear.
Red Flags Worth Pausing For
A sense of urgency is almost always a warning sign. Legitimate banks, shipping carriers, and charities don’t threaten immediate consequences if you don’t act in the next 10 minutes. If a message is pushing you to click, call, or pay right now, slow down.
Other red flags to watch for:
- A link that doesn’t match the company’s real web address (hover over it before clicking)
- Requests for payment via gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency
- Emails or texts with small spelling errors in the sender’s name or domain
- A phone number you don’t recognize asking you to “verify” your account
- A seemingly legitimate website selling brand-name products at extreme discounts
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. When in doubt, go directly to the source. If you think your bank account has an issue, log in through your bank’s official website or app; don’t follow a link from a text or email.
Simple Habits to Protect Your Accounts Before the Season Gets Busy
Setting up account alerts takes about five minutes and pays off all season long. Most banks, including Community Bank, allow you to receive real-time notifications for transactions, login attempts, and balance changes. If something happens on your account that you didn’t authorize, you’ll know immediately.
A few other habits worth building now:
- Use unique passwords for shopping sites. A password manager makes this easy.
- Enable two-factor authentication on any and every account that offers it.
- Check your credit card and checking account statements weekly during the holidays, not just at the end of the month.
- Be cautious about saving your card number on retail websites you don’t use regularly.
What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Targeted
Act quickly! Speed matters more than anything else when fraud occurs. If you believe your Community Bank account has been compromised, call us immediately or stop by your nearest office. The sooner we know, the more we can do.
Steps to take right away:
- Change your passwords on the affected account and any others that share the same credentials.
- Review recent transactions and flag anything you don’t recognize.
- If you share your Social Security number or other sensitive information, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze through the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).
- Report phishing emails or texts to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Our team is here to help you sort through what happened and what comes next.
Community Bank Is Here to Help Keep Your Accounts Safe!
Community Bank monitors accounts for unusual activity and has fraud prevention measures in place year-round, not just during the holidays. When something looks off, we act on it. But the strongest protection is a partnership between our team and yours.
If you have questions about your account security, want to set up transaction alerts, or just want to talk through something that feels suspicious, stop by your nearest Community Bank office or reach out through our website. You can also explore our personal checking accounts and credit card options; both come with the fraud monitoring you’d expect from a bank that actually knows your name.
The holidays are coming, and we want you to enjoy this time of year to its fullest. Let’s make sure your accounts are protected now!
Find your nearest Community Bank office.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Interest rates, terms, and conditions mentioned are illustrative and do not reflect actual rates offered by Community Bank. For detailed information and personalized advice tailored to your specific situation, please consult with a financial advisor.
