Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 11/8/2022
HOLYOKE – With the holiday season quickly approaching, awareness of the potential scammers and fraudsters is again important in its relevance. That is why the Holyoke Public Library will be hosting a Holiday Fraud Prevention Consumer Talks event on Nov. 14 from 4-5 p.m.
The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation is teaming up with the library to provide essential information and tips to stay steps ahead of fraudulent activity this holiday season. Tips on avoiding stolen packages, return policies, avoiding credit card skimming devices and much more will be provided to residents who attend the event.
Holyoke Public Library Director Maria Pagan said the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation contacted the library for the free program they host for communities. With the holidays on the way, lessons in fraud prevention are more relevant during the holiday season and can be used year-round when purchasing items online.
“Even when it’s not the holidays, we aren’t careful in how we spend or use our credit cards or responding to fishy emails, we’re in a rush and do not pay it much attention and that is how a lot of frauds happen,” Pagan said. “This is a way of educating people to be more conscious and more aware of their spending and who they’re talking to, to prevent identity theft because we did not follow certain tips.”
Massachusetts AARP, who receives nearly 8,000 calls to their Fraud Watch Network helpline monthly, conducted a study in 2021 on scammers, and their findings suggest many consumers are opened up to risks as they shop during the holiday season. One key finding from a survey conducted was that 77 percent of Bay Staters have been targeted by or experienced at least one form of fraud in the past.
The study also found interesting notes around 74 percent of Massachusetts shoppers plan to purchase gift cards as a holiday gift and 65 percent of those rely on purchasing them off the rack, which is a known target for scammers. The study also showed that 42 percent of Massachusetts residents reported receiving a request for a monetary donation to a charity that felt “fake or fraudulent,” and that 34 percent of residents have received fake notifications about shipping issue.
The study further elaborates that while online shopping has become the method of choice for a majority of American consumers as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many still miss key things to look for to order online safely based on a short quiz provided by the study.
According to Massachusetts AARP only 31 percent of adults in Massachusetts surveyed were aware that online retailers will not ask you for your login credentials to provide customer support, and only 32 percent know that using a credit card versus a debit card online offers greater protections.
“Ultimately, the point here isn’t to take the joy out of this time of year or take the fun out of gift-giving, but to help consumers be aware so they can protect themselves and their loved ones,” said AARP Massachusetts State Director Mike Festa in 2021.
With information like this available, Pagan said it made sense for the library to take on the free event and help the effort of raising collective consciousness of potential scams.
Pagan said looking out for things like potential scam emails where a scammer uses an email that closely resembles a contact you know but is just off, or someone you know writing in a way they don’t typically do or having various errors in their writing can be a sign something is up.
A focused topic at the event will also be on the best ways to combat theft of packages during the holiday season. Pagan said it is important people are aware of when their packages are coming in relation to their daily schedule as unattended packages throughout are examples of where theft occurs off of front doorsteps.
All this and more Pagan hopes residents can learn through the event in order to stop future instances of fraud.
“I hope people will take advantage of this free service they are providing, and we are hosting and can learn to keep ourselves protected in this all,” Pagan said. “Little tips, even if it doesn’t apply to you but you can help somebody by saying, ‘hey I heard this,’ and inform others on this. I hope that people will take advantage of this program and learn even if it’s not for them so they can also teach others.”