Stay safe from scams disguised in New Year’s Eve!

The end of a year is a time for celebration and hope. As 2020 draws to a close, the world will hope to ring in the New Year with a prayer that 2021 will provide a break from the chaos of the current year and provide the normality that we all deeply crave. And so, It’s not surprising that spending on gifts and holidays increases in the days leading up to the start of a New Year.

Yet, negligence can prove very costly. According to a report from December 2019, over 50% of Indians fell prey to discount scams last year. With people planning winter breaks and travel, criminals seek to exploit this heightened sense of spending and the consequent collective lowering of guards. With e-commerce gaining a major boost this year due to the pandemic, more and more Indians are transacting online, whether it’s booking tickets, hotel rooms, or buying gifts.

Unfortunately, this means they are also becoming easy prey for common scams such as sending money to unscrupulous vendors with the belief that they will get a discount or getting tricked with offers that are just too good to be true.

To ensure your holiday season doesn’t get spoilt, follow these useful tips below to stay safe from New Year scams –

Verify the vendor

If you’re getting a deal that just looks to be too good to be true, there’s probably a catch. If you’re making travel bookings, make them on verified travel websites and avoid sketchy ones. They might lure you by providing amazing deals but there’s every chance these are just fronts for scammers who will not hesitate to take your money and disappear.

Be wary of links in e-mails

Email links can often be masked which means they say something and lead you somewhere else. Scammers can also pull off amazing imitations which can completely convince you that the email is from a popular e-commerce website, while in reality, it is fraudulent. Always check where a link in an email is leading you to and if it doesn’t add up, go to your preferred e-commerce website directly.

Transact responsibly

You might be buying (or even selling) a lot in the New Year break and you will probably be using online payment platforms for transactions. Ensure you use these carefully. Make sure you are scanning the correct QR codes and verifying who you are sending money to.

Stay wary on social media

It’s easy to get fooled on social media and more so at a busy time like New Year. Follow all the usual precautions, including the ones outlined above, to ensure you don’t get tricked. Even if a friend messages you with what sounds like a great offer, be very careful. Call up your friend and ask them about the offer directly. Hackers can easily create fake accounts to impersonate people on social media.

Whatever device you use, stay protected

Ensure you have powerful cybersecurity solutions on all the devices you use – laptop, desktop, or your mobile phone. Quick Heal has a range of solutions that will match your every need. Whether it’s Quick Heal Total Security or Quick Heal Mobile Security, all products come with powerful features that ensure you and your device stay protected.

Don’t start the New Year on a bad note. Take basic precautions to avoid common scams and have a great start to 2021.

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