As Christmas 2009 rapidly closes in on us, it never hurts to remind consumers that “all that glitters is not gold” – especially when you are viewing it online! When it comes to online scams, the holiday season is the time of year when cybercriminals go all out to snare new victims, knowing that many people are more vulnerable and possibly less guarded during this time of year.

McAfee Inc., a well-known developer of computer security and anti-virus software, recently shared its list of the most dangerous online scams that cybercriminals are expected to share with unsuspecting or unprepared computer users this holiday season. Using convincing schemes which often mimic popular holiday-related or trusted websites, these scam artists can fool even the most cautious of users.

Here is a list of some of the top scams to look out for this holiday season:

• Those Cute Holiday e-Cards. They are typically free, cute and easy to send.. but be careful – in the past, McAfee uncovered a worm masked as Hallmark e-cards, as well as one disguised as a McDonalds and Coca-Cola holiday promotion. Another common scam to beware of  is holiday-themed Powerpoint email attachments. So if in doubt… don’t open!
• Charity Phishing Scams. Looking to take advantage of the season of sharing, scammers create emails seeking donations from what appears to be legitimate charities – instead, victims may have their credit card info, or even identity stolen if they offer the personal information that is requested by the bogus website.
• Public Wi-Fi Hotspots. While you should be careful at all times of the year in any open public network, the hackers are likely out in force during the holiday period. McAfee tells users never to shop online from a public computer or on an open Wi-Fi network.
• Employment-Themed e-mails. With unemployment at unprecedented levels this past year, there has been a surge in emails promising work-at-home opportunities and to-good-to-be-true high paying jobs. They request that you submit personal information and pay a “setup” fee, and then make off with the money.
• Holiday Ringtones or Screensavers. If you are searching the internet for holiday-themed ringtones, wallpaper, or screensavers, beware of fraudulent websites created by hackers.  Downloading files from a site such as this can infect your computer with spyware, adware or other types of malware.
• Name-Brand Holiday Jewelry. McAfee recently uncovered a new holiday campaign that leads shoppers to malware-ridden sites offering “discounted” luxury gifts from Cartier, Gucci and TAG Heuer. Cybercriminals may also use fraudulent logos of the Better Business Bureau to make their site appear more legitimate, and ultimately trick shoppers into buying products they never receive.
• Social Networking Solicitations. With social media expanding in popularity, beware of copy-cat emails inviting you a “become friends” from social-networking sites. A simple click on links within these solicitation emails can result in malware or stolen personal information from your computer.
• Online Auction Scams. Cyberscammers often target auction sites during the holiday buying season. Users should beware of auction deals that seem too good to be true, as they often are, and your purchase may never reach its destination.
• Financial Accounts. Although these fraudulent emails are prevalent all year long, the surge around the holidays is a result of consumer’s increased attention to their purchase records. Typically you will receive a legitimate appearing email from your financial institution, requesting some sort of account information in order to ”validate” the account. If you “bite”, your information may well be sold to an underground online black market.
• Package Delivery Notifications. The holidays are perfect for sending falsified invoices or delivery notifications which appear to be from legitimate mail services such as UPS or FedEx. Recipients are typically asked to provide some personal information, open an online invoice or fill out a customs form in order to receive the package. Upon completion, the information is stolen and/or malware may be installed on the computer.

Well, with that list of scams out there – happy friggin Christmas! But seriously folks, consumers should use the same protections and precautions they use all year long to protect their identity and personal information during this time of “heightened activity”. For more information about protecting yourself when buying things online, read this article.

Readers, have you encountered any other interesting holiday scams this year? If so, share your story by leaving a comment!

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