From the IDGuardian Administrators: Due to the timeliness of this subject matter, IDGuardian will also be, later today, releasing this column as a podcast. Enjoy the read, have a listen, and share with those in your network these helpful Holiday shopping tips from security authority, Neal O’Farrell.

As many Americans start preparing for a busy holiday season, cyberthieves are fine tuning their scams in anticipation of a bumper crop of victims who will be presented with scams so convincing they’ll gladly invite them into their homes like a group of cheery carol singers.  As in years past, scammers have perfected the art of social engineering – getting inside the heads of victims so they can deliver scams many victims won’t recognize until it is too late.  And looking to profit from the soft economy, criminals are preparing to exploit money-conscious consumers whose need for some good luck might overcome their normal caution.

One of the best gifts scammers will get this year will come from retailers. Shoppers and analysts are already reporting shortages of the hottest Christmas gifts this year, as retailers try to avoid getting stuck with merchandise that they can’t move quickly.  This inventory shortage may force some shoppers to take greater risks than they normally take, and  scammers won’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of busy shoppers who are so determined to get that elusive holiday gift this year that they are willing to do whatever it takes.

This holiday season there will be the inevitable rehash of the same scams we’ve seen in previous years, but the tides have changed and the scammers are becoming more professional, convincing, and ultimately, more effective.  Today’s breed of cybercriminals now pose the greatest threat to holiday shoppers because they have the skills, savvy, and resources to con even the most battle-hardened shopper.

Some of the newer scams you may come across include:

• Which Tweeples Can You Trust? Don’t Fall for the Tweet Trap! Scammers fully understand the power and reach of social networks, and gathering places like Facebook and Twitter are a feeding ground for all kinds of thieves. The biggest threat to be wary of this year is the “Tweet Trap” – a message that appears to be from a trusted friend or follower passing on some great news, a real bargain, or a worthy cause, but instead hides spam, phishing fraud, or a malicious download.
• Need to Make More Money Fast? How Your Dream Job Can Turn Into a Complete Nightmare. With so many people facing a tougher holiday than usual, it is not surprising that heartless crooks will try to appeal to consumers’ emotions with offers of instant income and risk free financial solutions.  One of the most dangerous versions of this scam advertises very appealing and convincing part-time jobs, with no experience or training required.  Behind this scam lies a very sophisticated and well-orchestrated criminal system that scams banks, credit card companies, consumers – and ultimately job hunters.  The job specifications typically require the job applicant to simply receive and then forward packages on behalf of a foreign company, and get paid thousands of dollars a month for what seems like easy work. The new employees quickly finds themselves “promoted” into receiving and forwarding payments instead of packages, which should be another red flag for most of us. Of course, the packages and payments turn out to be obtained fraudulently, turning that dream job into a costly nightmare and often turning the job seeker into a criminal accomplice.
• Trojan Infections: The Gift that Keeps on Giving (Your Money Away!) The goal for many hackers this year will be to give you their own special gift, like a Trojan infection on your computer. Once in residence on your computer, these Trojans can easily grab your bank account and credit card login info, disable your security software, and sneak into your bank account by pretending to be you. Trojans are even smart enough to quietly drain your bank account over the holiday period based on the assumption that you’ll be too busy to check exactly how much you’re spending until the New Year.
• Attaining the “Rare Find” Gift – Too Good to Be True? You bet. Traditionally this kind of scam has focused on promising shoppers the hard-to-find gift at an irresistible price. In most cases the gift doesn’t exist, doesn’t arrive, the seller demands far more for it, or simply steals the shopper’s credit card information.  But this year, hackers are upping the stakes by hacking into the search ranking systems of the major search engines like Yahoo! and Google so that their fraudulent or malware-infected web sites appear at the top of shopper searches.  And most shoppers still believe that if a Web site is at the top of a search engine’s list, it has to be legitimate.

The good news is that you can slam the door on scammers, and all it takes is a little common sense:

• Take a tip from online merchants and “trust but verify.” Whether it’s online shopping searches, incredible gift offers, or holiday wishes from your Twitter “Tweeps” or Facebook friends, the best way to avoid gift-wrapping yourself for scammers this year is to turn your cynicism on to the highest level.  If you think before you click, you might just play Grinch to an identity thief.
• If your bank or credit card company sends you an email or even calls to warn you of insufficient funds or other problems with your account, contact them directly using the customer service numbers posted on their Web sites. Don’t respond to their emails or to any number they provide in an email or phone message.
• Watch your bank account balances daily. Trojans are smart enough to quietly drain your bank account over the holiday period based on the assumption that you’ll be too busy to check exactly how much you’re spending until the New Year.
• Don’t give a gift to digital burglars by Tweeting about your holiday plans (like when you’re going to be out of town) or all the cool stuff you bought.  Otherwise your new purchases may end up under someone else’s tree.
• Close the door on Trojans. The best way to avoid them is to:
  1. NOT  open attachments or click on email links
  2. Be careful where you surf and stick to “neighborhoods” where you really feel safe
  3. Regularly patch your computer and update your anti-virus and other security software.
• Give someone the gift of an identity monitoring service. It might not sound romantic, but it’s one of those gifts that will truly keep on giving, and will be treasured forever.

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