The joy of the holiday season can quickly be ruined by scams, theft and fraud. Before you make a purchase or a donation it’s important to use caution. To help you navigate safely through the holidays, here are some common holiday scams to watch out for and tips to help you recognize and avoid them. These tips are also good to consider throughout the year as scammers and thieves work year round.

Phishing Emails:

If you shop online, you likely get email messages from retailers about your account or upcoming deals. Scammers can use this opportunity to pose as real businesses to trick you. Phishing emails might look like they come from real businesses, but are actually from scammers trying to steal your personal information.

Here’s what you should look for:

Check the email address closely. Is the “from” email address using the correct domain name?

Look for spelling or grammatical errors in the email message.

Ask yourself, do you shop at that retailer? If the answer is no, it could be a scam.

If an email looks suspicious, avoid clicking on links or opening attachments. If you’re at all unsure, delete the email. When shopping online, always use safe, reputable, and encrypted websites or a store’s official app.

Suspicious Sites Selling Hottest Gifts:

Scammers will list the most popular or hard-to-find items this holiday season on social media platforms, online classified websites and even create fake online stores with no intention of delivering the products because they don’t have them.

To protect yourself, make sure you research the seller, shop around at reputable businesses, and pay by credit card (not debit card) so you can dispute the charge later if needed.

Fake Package Delivery Notifications:

Scammers might try to trick you by sending phony emails or text messages about package deliveries. The messages might ask you to “confirm” delivery by sending some personal information, or say you owe more money to finalize the delivery.

Once you buy something, never share more information or pay extra later. These are red flags for a scam. Keep close tabs on real purchases being delivered to you and ignore the rest.

Beware of Porch Pirates:

You’ve shopped online safely and avoided fake stores and phony delivery notifications. Great work! Now it’s up to you to beat thieves to your packages. Lots of online shopping means lots of packages being delivered. Thieves often prowl neighborhoods looking to steal deliveries. Check your delivery status often and make sure to bring packages indoor promptly.

When you make the purchase, consider having packages shipped to your office or another safe address. And don’t forget to put a hold on your mail delivery if you’re going out of town. Some scammers go through your mailbox looking for your personal information to steal your identity. Learn more about mail fraud and scams at uspis.gov.

Tampered Gift Cards:

Sometimes it’s easier to just buy a gift card. But before you buy one, make sure it hasn’t been tampered with and the card number is still hidden. Scammers can track numbers and PIN activation codes on multiple cards allowing them to steal the card’s value once an unsuspecting victim activates it. If you receive a gift card, keep it in a safe place or use it right away. Consumers waste billions of dollars on unspent gift cards.

Phony Donation Scams:

The holidays are a great time to donate money to non-profit organizations and charities. Unfortunately, some scammers try to take advantage of your generosity by setting up fake charities to steal your well-intentioned donations. Before you give, make sure the organization is reputable and always ask for a receipt for your records. If you’re unsure, stick with organizations you already know and trust. Learn more about donating safely here.

Protecting yourself from scams may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to dampen your holiday spirit. Taking some simple precautions – like verifying the source of an email, being careful with personal information and trusting your instincts, can go a long way in preventing a few bad players from spoiling your holiday cheer.

If you have any questions about possible holiday scams or want to report suspected fraud in Los Angeles County, contact the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs online at dcba.lacounty.gov or call 800-593-8222.