Holiday Tips From The Palos Park Police Chief

From The City of Palos: A lot of scammers will launch fake apps, prompting shoppers to essentially download malware. Many of those hoax apps mimic major retailers, using similar logos and brand.

Remember before downloading a new app:

•Check for any grammatical errors

•Don't allow access to your location or social media profiles

•Only download from a verified company or source you trust

•Search online to view reviews of the app

Hoax coupons

A coupon for a big brand store may appear legit at first glance, but if you take a closer look you'll probably notice several issues. Some users may also have to enter personal information to gain access to the coupon or deal — a ploy to gain access to a user's finances or other personal data. Email campaigns Don't open any emails from users you're unfamiliar with. Don't open any emails from users you're unfamiliar with. Like fake coupons, hackers can also promise exclusive deals to prompt users to open phishing emails. Once a user clicks on the email, then he or she will likely be directed to open a link that will be used to retrieve personal information.

Remember that urgent requests for personal information or call for immediate action are almost always a scam!!

PHISHING SCAMS YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF:

Amazon urges customers to report any suspicious activity and to never respond to correspondence nor open attachments regarding any orders you know you didn't place.

Amazon will never send you an unsolicited e-mail that asks you to provide sensitive personal information like your social security number, tax ID, bank account number, credit card information, ID questions like your mother's maiden name or your password," the company confirmed on its website. Fake Facebook pages Scammers may promise gift cards, coupons or giveaways if users "like" or "share" their social media posts. This is known as "like farming," a strategy scammers use to gain access to Facebook user's personal information.

Some posts may prompt users to register in order to claim their fake offers, giving them the information they desire. There are also several other ways scammers can use fake posts or pages to dupe users. When the scammer collects enough likes and shares, they will edit the post and add something malicious. That’s often a link to a website that downloads malware to your machine.

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