Scrooge You, Scammers! 5 Ways to Stay Safe and Secure This Holiday Season

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The holiday season is all about joy, giving and spending time with loved ones. But it's also a prime time for scammers looking to capitalize on people's generosity and holiday spirit. Yikes, right?

According to the AARP, 80% of U.S. consumers faced at least one holiday-related scam in 2023, including mail and package theft, vacation rental scams, phishing emails and texts and charity fraud. In today's digital world, cyber scams are everywhere - but no need to stress. With these tips, T-Mobile is serving up the tools and knowledge you need to help keep scammers from cashing in on your holiday cheer.

1. Use T-Mobile's Scam Shield

Scammers use robocalls and spoofed phone numbers in Caller ID to entice you to answer spam calls. They can also reach out to you via text with tactics that include pretending to have the wrong number. Fortunately, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers have Scam Shield, a benefit included in customers' plans that automatically identifies possible scam calls at the network level and labels them as "Scam Likely" on your phone. Scam Block can be turned on to automatically block those calls by dialing #662# or through T-Mobile's T-Life app. You can also forward suspicious text messages to 7726.

Scam Shield identified or blocked 19.8 billion scam calls in 2023, and it can help you stay safe and protected during this holiday season. Whew!

2. Up Your Privacy Game

Use strong, unique passwords with at least 12 characters, and opt for random numbers when setting pins. Take advantage of extra security - enabling multi-factor authentication on your various apps and accounts will also help protect you from potential threats. And because criminals might try to access your info in places like coffee shops or libraries through public Wi-Fi, it's safer to use your phone's mobile hotspot.

Also be on the lookout for emails or texts that promise a freebie or prize if you click a link, log into an account and update personal information. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Use your device's block and report functions before deleting.

Practice safe online habits by only visiting trusted websites and being cautious of common online scams, like when booking rentals for next year's family vacation (last year alone, Airbnb removed 59,000 fraudulent listings from their site, eek!). T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customers can get added digital peace of mind with Advanced Cyber Security protection. The feature includes Safe Browsing, which helps block access to malicious links, while Anomaly Detection helps protect connected devices from cybercriminals - it can all be easily managed through the T-Life app, which has more than 47.5 million active users and counting.

3. Monitor Your Belongings

Mail theft is common all year round, but especially during the holidays when gifts are pouring onto porches. Use your smartphone to track deliveries in real-time - most major delivery companies offer text or email notifications when your package is on its way.

You can also connect smart door cameras to your 5G Home Internet to keep track of what's going on at your front step, such as mail and package theft. These cameras provide live video feeds and motion detection, sending you real-time alerts that you can use to contact authorities and report porch pirates if needed.

4. Send Money Only to Charities You Trust

Giving back during the holidays is awesome - but you want to make sure your generosity ends up in the right hands. Before making any charitable donations, take time to research the organization by searching the charity's name along with "complaint" or "scam" to check reviews online. Use trusted sources such as Charity Navigator to confirm your contributions will reach who you intended to. And here's a pro tip: Use a credit card instead of a debit card, since credit cards offer stronger fraud protections and don't give scammers direct access to your bank account.

5. Keep Track of What's Going On

Visit T-Mobile's Privacy Center for more tips about staying safe online, including information on digital scams, spam and fraud. If you come across any suspicious or fraudulent activity related to the holidays, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint and to the NCDF. By reporting these incidents, you can helo protect others from falling victim to scams. Strength in numbers, people!

As you gear up for the holiday season, don't let scammers steal your cheer. With the right tools, a little awareness and these T-Mobile tips, you can stay one step ahead and keep your holidays merry and bright - because your joy isn't up for grabs.