By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
President, Los Alamos Region
Enterprise Bank & Trust, Member FDIC

As we head into the final stretch of the holiday shopping season, it is increasingly important to be aware of common scams circulating throughout communities like ours across the country. This time of year, scammers are more creative than ever and will often attempt to take advantage of your charitable giving.

Charity scams are popular during the winter holidays because almost one-third (31%) of all donations from Americans are made during the month of December, according to the TransUnion 2020 Holiday Retail Report.

Often, charity scammers will claim to be a part of an organization and ask prospective donors for contributions to the non-existent charity. Be sure to always verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website. If a charity or organization asks you to donate through cash, gift card, virtual currency or wire transfer, it might be a scam.

Thankfully, there are many ways you can minimize your risk of falling victim to fraud this holiday season. Protect your sensitive information by choosing not to save your card information on retailer sites when making online purchases.

If possible, use a credit card rather than a debit card. If your credit card is compromised, the credit card company carries more of the risk. If your debit card is compromised, your hard-earned money is instantly at risk. You can also stay alert by using online and mobile banking to monitor your financial accounts regularly for fraudulent transactions.

If you suspect a scam, you are encouraged to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov to help spread awareness of new scams. To all of our clients and community members, I wish you a safe and happy holiday.