Mother’s Day is a special day celebrated across many countries, including the United States. To commemorate the love and contributions of mothers and mother figures to their families. It most times falls on the second Sunday in May and is when people show their appreciation for their moms through gestures such as gifts, cards, and special events. However, the joy of this holiday can be dampened by scammers who prey on people’s sentiments for Mother’s Day scams.
Scammers use various tricks to extract money or personal information from people, such as offering fake gift cards, promoting fraudulent charities, or impersonating genuine businesses. It is necessary to stay vigilant and informed during Mother’s Day to protect yourself and your loved ones from these scams. By recognizing the different types of Mother’s Day scams and tactics that scammers use, you can avoid becoming a victim and ensure that your Mother’s Day celebration remains enjoyable and hassle-free.
Types Of Mother’s Day Scams
False advertisements
An all-time favourite of hackers in the Mother’s Day scams. These are everywhere and get new life for every holiday or shopping event; Mother’s Day may have its own version. So, what do we anticipate? Typically, hacked accounts are used to disseminate scam advertisements throughout various social media platforms and messaging apps in Mother’s Day scams.
If you tap on a malicious ad, you will be taken to a false website that sells phony or non-existent goods. In the worst-case scenario, malware will infect your device and do damage, such as stealing your personal information or keeping your device hostage until you pay a ransom.
Fake online retailers
Cybercriminals employ any method they can think of to lure in unsuspecting users. For their scamming goals, fake shopping websites are perfect. Since Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries worldwide, scammers may often pretend to be legitimate online stores by launching a new website specifically for the occasion.
The vast majority of the advertisements on these fake websites will likely be for mother-focused presents. These items will be sold at ridiculously low prices in an effort to get potential victims to click the “buy” button. If you follow through with it, the scam artists will likely steal your payment information and start charging your account with unauthorized fees.
Coupons and gift cards
We’ve already talked about scam advertisements and phony online stores; now let’s move on to another common lure, counterfeit coupons and gift cards in Mother’s Day scams. These are quite common and are sometimes even spread utilizing the device of an unsuspecting victim.
When you find a fake coupon that piques your interest and click on it, a malware installer is downloaded to your device. This malware installer could be anything from a banking trojan to a keylogger. In order to increase their odds of success, the scammers may implement a feature that distributes the voucher to everyone on your contact list.
Romance scams
The rise in popularity of online dating in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak may also mean an increase in the number of victims targeted by scammers. You and your loved ones would be foolish to imagine it couldn’t happen to you. According to the FBI’s 2019 Internet Crime Report, romance and confidence scams cost victims the second most.
In more concrete words, one woman lost $546,000 while another became an unsuspecting drug mule, leading to her imprisonment. There are usually red flags that indicate a potential scammer is contacting your mother. If you check through Google image search on their profile picture, you might find that it actually belongs to someone else.
Giving out your phone number
Companies often want your name and phone number when you join up for free services like e-cards or newsletters. Don’t hand over the latter without a fight. A mobile phone number serves the same purpose as a Social Security number in the modern era and could lead to various Mother’s Day scams. The value of your phone number has increased due to the proliferation of mobile storage. You open yourself up to “smishing,” the new “phishing,” which is conducted through text messages, when you give out your number to unknown persons. If you are responding to or verifying your cell number in a conversation you did not initiate, you are certainly giving too much information.
Avoid flower give-away
I don’t mean to imply that real flowers are false; rather, I’m warning you about phishing scams. Scammers may pose as websites offering to provide a beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet by tricking you into visiting their sites. This can transition into one of many Mother’s Day scams if you are not watchful. If you are ordering flowers online and you clicked through from somewhere other than your own search results, you should double-check that the URL matches the shop’s website. Call the store to verify their legitimacy if you have any doubts.
How To Avoid Mother’s Day Scams
Criminals seek ways to profit from the season of giving every year. To assist you in staying safe from fraud this Mother’s Day, here are some pointers to avoid falling into Mother’s Day Scams.
- Don’t fall for too-good-to-be-true deals: Scammers often use the holiday season to offer deals and discounts that seem too good to be true. Before clicking on any links or making any purchases, do your research and verify the legitimacy of the offer.
- Be wary of unsolicited emails and messages: Scammers will try to lure you in with emails and messages claiming to offer amazing deals. Never follow through on any links or download attachments from unknown sources.
- Double-check gift card purchases: “Gift cards” are a good option for Mother’s Day gifts, but scammers have been known to tamper with the cards’ codes and steal the funds in Mother’s Day scams. Always double-check the cards’ codes and make sure they have not been tampered with before purchasing.
- Avoid sharing your personal information: Scammers may get you to reveal sensitive information over the phone or online. You should never reveal such information unless you are certain of the identity and intent of the receiver. This is vital to avoid Mother’s Day scams.
- Use trusted websites and retailers: Stick to well-known and trusted websites and retailers for your Mother’s Day purchases. Always look for the secure padlock icon in the website’s address bar to ensure your personal information is protected.
- Watch out for fake charities: Scammers often create fake charities and donation pages to prey on individuals’ generosity during the holiday season for Mothers’ Day scams. Be sure to research the organization before making any donations and verify that it is legitimate.
- Trust your instincts: Something is probably not what it seems, and vice versa. When it comes to Mother’s Day sales and promotions, it’s best to trust your gut and err on the side of caution.
Conclusion
Mother’s Day is a time to respect and appreciate mothers, but it’s also a time when scammers try to take advantage of people’s good nature. If you know what to look out for and take the appropriate safety measures, you may celebrate Mother’s Day without worrying about getting scammed. Always verify the legitimacy of a company before giving them money, and never give out personal details in response to an unsolicited email or text message.
As it is with every special occasion, large or small, in the run-up to Mother’s Day, retailers are promoting special offers to honor all mothers around the world. That provides ample opportunity for cybercriminals to pull out all the stops in their mission to make money from everything like Mother’s Day scams, even a kind occasion like this. Scammers won’t just be focusing on masquerading as vendors; they will probably stoop as low as possible and try to woo single mothers in search of romance and swindle them out of their money.
