Nine years ago, I wrote a piece for this forum under this same title. Hearing an interview this morning with a representative of the Better Business Bureau on the same subject (updated for 2021), I revisited my old article. My, how things have changed.

The Better Business Bureau just recently published its “Naughty List” of the top 12 scams of Christmas, all of which are designed to separate consumers and donors from their personal information and, ultimately, their money. While space limitations don’t allow much detail here, the list includes the following scams:

1. Misleading Social Media Ads
2. Social Media Gift Exchanges
3. Holiday Apps
4. Alerts About Compromised Accounts
5. Free Gift Cards
6. Temporary Holiday Jobs
7. Look-Alike Websites
8. Fake Charities
9. Fake Shipping Notifications
10. Pop Up Holiday Virtual Events
11. Top Holiday Wishlist Items
12. Puppy Scams

The entire list is a fascinating read and can be found here, along with an abundance of links to additional informative resources.

If you believe that you are the victim of a scam you should report it to not only the BBB Scam Tracker, but also the Consumer Protection Division of the Michigan Attorney General office.

If Wright Beamer can help, just call us at (248) 477-6300.