West Alabama Wednesday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama. It is Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

Wednesday Morning Observations:

It is the most wonderful time of the year; it is also the most fraudulent time of the year. The holiday season beats any other time of the year for people falling prey to fraudsters, scammers and hackers.

Awareness is key to protecting yourself and your bank account as individuals, groups and foreign nations attempt to dupe you out of your finances. To help, the Better Business Bureau has released its list of the "12 Scams of Christmas".

1. Charity Scams: Fake charities often set up look-alike websites or make phone calls soliciting donations. Before contributing, ensure that the charity is legitimate. Verify their credentials and research their reputation to confirm they are not a scam designed to steal your money or personal information. 
2. Social Media Scams: Scammers often create fake giveaways, items for sale, surveys, or contests that promise gifts, gift cards, or cash in exchange for personal information.
3. Pet Scams: pet scams become rampant, often advertising puppies or other pets at unbelievable prices. Scammers lure in unsuspecting buyers with promises of huge discounts on desirable breeds.
4. Fraudulent Shipment Links:  Scammers take advantage by sending fraudulent links disguised as shipment tracking requests. These links are designed to harvest your login credentials through a technique known as credential harvesting. Avoid clicking on links received via text or email. Instead, visit the retailer’s website directly or use the tracking information provided from a trusted source.
5. Impersonation Scams: Scammers often impersonate government agencies such as the DEA or FDIC, threatening victims with arrest or hefty fines unless they pay immediately. These impostors may also pose as family members in distress, using urgency and fear to pressure victims into sending money quickly. 
6. Gift Card Scams: Scammers may pose as legitimate entities, demanding that victims pay fines or past-due balances exclusively with gift cards. They often use fear tactics to manipulate victims into compliance, instructing them to purchase specific gift card amounts from designated retailers.
7. Seasonal Job Scams: Before agreeing to work for anyone, watch out for job scams designed to collect your personal information, including Social Security numbers and bank account information.
8. Hacked Charging Stations: Holiday travelers often take advantage of public charging Stations. Beware, hackers can use them to gather your personal information and install malware on your cellphone.
9. Fake Santa Letter Offer: While most are legitimate, be careful when giving out your child or grandchild's personal information.
10. Malicious E-Cards: E-cards are a fun and easy way to send holiday greetings, but they can also be a Trojan Horse for malware. Verify the e-card you received is from the person identified on the card.
11. Holiday Apps: Some holiday themed game sites may collect personal information or even contain malware.
12. Too Good to Be True Offers: Scammers and hackers take advantage of our desire to save on gifts by setting up fake websites and apps.

Have a Merry but Safe Christmas.

(Opinions expressed in Morning Briefing are not necessarily those of ownership, management or staff of Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa.)

Weather:

Rain will move into the area overnight but by tomorrow morning it should be covering an area from Demopolis south. There will be a lull in freezing temperatures, but it won't last long. It will be windy at times as another cold snap moves in to end the week.

The Forecast:

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