Are you ready for the holidays? Nothing spoils festive vibes quicker than losing your personal information to a scammer or having a cybercriminal steal your hard-earned money. Take a second to review the tips below before relaxing into winter break.
Watch for fraudulent fundraisers
‘Tis the season for bad actors to target large institutions like Rutgers. If you get a strange donation request, use sites like Charity Navigator, the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, or the IRS’ Tax Exempt Organization Search to see if that money request is phony or not.
Delivery text or smart scam?
Cybercriminals often create fake delivery emails or fake texts to steal your information. Steer clear of the links in unexpected delivery notifications or notifications for items that you didn’t order. Instead, use official delivery company websites to track your packages, and follow this advice from Rutgers’ Computing Incident Response Team: report anything sketchy that’s sent to your Rutgers account.
“Get me a fake gift card,” said no one ever
Everyone loves gift cards for those hard-to-shop-for friends, relatives, or colleagues. But social media and email spread fake gift cards, vouchers, and discount codes faster than your family re-gifts an unwanted fruitcake. Avoid losing money by using official websites to verify these purchases.
Don’t let deep discounts fool you
Scams claiming significant savings on in-demand products are more popular than Labubu. Dodge these deceptions by using trusted retailers and questioning any offers that seem too good to be true.
And don’t forget…
If a scam compromises your Rutgers account or data, report the incident by emailing abuse@rutgers.edu or calling the OIT Help Desk at 833-OIT-HELP.