The holidays are which means plenty of shopping. Unfortunately, this also means more opportunities for con artists to scam innocent people out of money, steal their identity, get access to bank account information, and a whole slew of problematic scam activity. And Massachusetts is not immune to scam activity. (Beware of the holiday decoration scam. You can get complete details on this scam by going here.)

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 Berkshire County folks 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. (Speaking of gift cards, you'll want to keep an eye on the recent gas card scam which you can learn more about by going here.) 

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.

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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.

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