Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: When looking for a good deal this holiday shopping season, the FBI suggests keeping this old adage in mind... 
 
James Harris, Jr: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So, you want to steer clear of ads offering goods and services at unrealistic discounts.  
 
Halpern: That was Supervisory Special Agent James Harris, Jr., who says scams don’t change during the holiday season, but the techniques criminals use do. 
 
This time of year, fake charity, gift card, and work-from-home scams are prevalent. 
 
These scams take advantage of your holiday spirit to steal your identity and hard-earned money. 
 
Harris suggests being vigilant, particularly while shopping online. 
 
Harris, Jr: Beware of purchases or services that require payment in the form of a gift card. Never click on any links or attachments with an unsolicited email. Beware of providing credit card information or personal information when requested through unsolicited email.  
 
Halpern: He adds... 
 
Harris, Jr: And always check your credit card statements routinely and, if possible, set up credit card transaction auto-alerts and two-factor authentication. 
 
Halpern: A half-billion dollars in losses from scams were reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, last year. 
 
Report internet scams to ic3.gov. 
 
With FBI, This Week, I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau.