As Christmas and New Year approach, online scammers are taking advantage of the festive season to launch fraudulent schemes. These include fake online deals, lucky draw scams, and impersonated donation campaigns. Their tactics often rely on creating urgency, emotional pressure, and false trust to trick victims into giving away money or personal information.
Common Scam Tactics to Watch Out For
1. Social Media Impersonation
Scammers may pose as:
- Friends or family
- Influencers or celebrities
- University professors or colleagues
ITS often handle phishing emails with subject titles “Are you in office” or “Are you on campus now?” These emails frequently urge recipients to buy gift cards and send the codes.
2. E‑Commerce Scams
Fraudsters set up:
- Fake online stores
- Fake listings on legitimate marketplaces
Be cautious of:
- Deals that seem too good to be true
- Strange or misspelled URLs
- Poor website design
- Limited payment options
- Missing contact details
These are red flags that the site may be designed to steal money or personal data.
3. Fake Donation Drives
Criminals impersonate legitimate charities and ask for urgent donations, especially during the holiday season when people are more inclined to give.
How to Protect Yourself
- Ignore any email or message asking you to buy gift cards and share the codes—no matter who the sender claims to be.
- Verify charity appeals by checking official websites or calling their published contact numbers.
- Never pay with gift cards for donations, purchases, or fees. Legitimate companies and charities will never request payment this way.
For more information and guidance, please refer to the link for IT Security training videos on online scams.
Should you need further assistance, feel free to contact the IT HelpCentre at Tel: 2766 5900, WhatsApp/WeChat: 6577 9669, or reach out to us via the IT Online ServiceDesk.
