The holidays are a happy time for food, family, and friendship, but they are also a time for fraud. Consumers can fall into any number of traps over the holidays and become victim to identity thieves, hackers and deceptive merchants online.

Here are the top five scams this season: 

Scam shopping sites online 

Look for the BBB seal when shopping online … click on the seal to confirm it is legitimate … unfamiliar shopping websites--check the business out with the BBB before you buy

Finding the season’s hottest toys and gadgets online

Shop locally on Craigslist and conduct the transaction in person—never wire money as payment … purchasing items on auctions like eBay, research the seller extensively and listen to your doubts if the deal doesn’t sound legit

Identity theft at the mall

Don’t let yourself get bogged down in purchases and lose track of your wallet … know where your credit and debit cards are at all times … cover the keypad when entering your pin number while purchasing items or getting money from the ATM

Bogus charitable pleas

Always research a charity with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance before you give to see if the charity meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability

Phishing e-mails

Don’t click on any links or open any attachments to e-mails until you have confirmed that they are not malicious … beware of unsolicited e-mails from companies with which you have no association … make sure you have current antivirus software

For more advice on being a savvy consumer this holiday season, visit us online at www.bbb.org or call (409) 835-5348 or (855) BBB-SETX.