We’ve reached the final day in The 12 Days of Holiday Fraud - our version of the holiday classic The 12 Days of Christmas! We’re warning about the top scams that leverage the holiday season to target you and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.

We hope you take these tips to heart and resolve to start 2021 cyber smart!

While the previous 11 days have tied into our increasingly cyber world, the old ways can still be effective for criminals - including stealing physical property with their bare hands.

“On the eleventh day of the holidays, my scammer targeted me with . . .”

DAY 12: Porch Pirates

The front porch of the house has become the destination place for packages ordered online, and therefore is a target for criminals looking to make a quick steal. The thieves aren’t necessarily sneaky about it either, as that type of behavior might make a passerby suspicious. Often, they walk by or pull up in a car, walk to the front of the house, and calmly take the packages.

HOLIDAY TIPS

Track your packages online. Most sites will tell you when they will be delivered. Therefore, you can arrange to be home or have a neighbor pick up deliveries.
A visible security camera can’t physically stop someone from stealing packages, but it can be a strong deterrent.
Instead of having Amazon packages delivered directly to your home, you can have them shipped to a nearby Amazon Hub locker. Once delivered, you receive a unique code for each package you’ll be picking up.
Products such as BoxLock are locks with a built-in scanner that allows the delivery person to press a button and scan the package. This opens the lock allowing the package to be placed in a secure compartment and then relocked.

Check out Day 1: Secret Sister Gift Exchange.

Check out Day 2: Requests for Charitable Gifts.

Check out Day 3: Secret Santa Shopper.

Check out Day 4: Fake Holiday Marketplaces.

Check out Day 5: Package Delivery.

Check out Day 6: Gift Cards.

Check out Day 7: Fake Apps.

Check out Day 8: Holiday Shopping Spree.

Check out Day 9: Puppies.

Check out Day 10: Travel.

Check out Day 11: Stolen Rewards Points.

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The 12 Days of Holiday Fraud – Day 12: Porch Pirates

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