Better Business Bureau: Beware of Santa Claus Letter Scam

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is a favorite Christmas story for many, but don’t let the Grinch steal your identity this Christmas either.

The Better Business Bureau issued a warning on Dec. 1 regarding a scam intending to cash in on an attempt to get a letter from Santa Claus.

According to the BBB, you receive an email selling a “Handwritten letter from Santa to Your Child” and encourages you to purchase “Santa’s special package” for $19.99. After clicking the link, you’re brought to a website promising an “‘official’ nice-list certification and customized letter from Santa,” the BBB said. The scam attempts to further entice you to enter your credit card information and purchase it right away by alerting you of a soon-ending special on free shipping.

The BBB is strongly encouraging people to not enter their credit card information. “In the best case, you are simply out the $19.99,” the BBB said. “In the worst case scenario, you just shared your credit card information with scammers, who can now use it for identity theft.”

Another version of the scam promises a free letter from Jolly St. Nick and does not require any credit card information. It does, however, ask you to supply plenty of personal information, including your full name, address and phone number, the BBB reports. This information could then be sold to spammers.

The Better Business Bureau gave readers tips on how to spot a scam and encouraged they do their homework.

Read more about the letter from Santa scam or read about how to avoid scams this holiday season.

(Image via Shutterstock)