Common Holiday Scam is Making Its Way Around Massachusetts

The holidays are which means plenty of shopping and gift giving. Unfortunately, this also means more opportunities for con artists to scam innocent people out of money. In addition, the thieves can get access to your personal information and steal your identity, drain your bank account, and make life very hard which nobody needs particularly during the holiday season.

Get our free mobile app

Massachusetts Folks Should Watch Out for the Holiday Gift Card Scam

I recently received an email about claiming my free gift card to a restaurant. I was quite suspicious as I don't remember actively doing anything that would warrant me winning a gift card from a restaurant. I spoke to a few other folks in Western Massachusetts that received similar emails. After doing some searching online, this gift card email is definitely a scam that you'll want to keep an eye on. It doesn't matter where you live in Massachusetts whether it's Boston, Springfield, Chicopee, Pittsfield, etc. nobody is immune from online scams. We just have to be smart and know what to look for.

How Does the Scam Work? 

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB),  scammers will send bulk phishing emails requesting personal information to receive free gift cards. In some of these emails, scammers impersonate legitimate companies and promise gift cards to reward their loyal customers. This was the case with the email that I received. Luckily, I did not open it. If you receive a similar gift card email or text don't open it and certainly don't click on any links as suggested by the BBB.

Here's a Whole Other Gift Card Scam That Recently Took Place in Boston

As I mentioned it's the holiday season and we have to be on alert more than ever as scammers are targeting folks on the regular. Keep a sharp eye when receiving texts and emails with prizes that seem too good to be true. Here's to safe shopping this holiday season.