Holiday Scams: What to Watch Out For

ZANESVILLE, OH – Scams are something everyone should be on the lookout for, especially as the holidays get closer.

Misty Harmon, an Educator in Family and Consumer Sciences with the Perry County OSU Extension Office, said some of the biggest scams they’ve heard about this year involve gift cards.

She said some people have reported getting calls from their utility companies, demanding the customer to pay the bill with a gift card.

“This is all year long, but especially right now, be careful, the utility company calling and telling you they’re going to shut off your water or your electric, if you don’t pay with a gift card and you need to go get it. Your utility company is never going to ask you to pay with a gift card,” Harmon said. “Gift cards are for gifts, it’s right there in the word, so if somebody is calling you and telling you or emailing you that you need to pay a bill or pay something with a gift card, it’s more than likely a scam.”

Harmon said scammers may also try to get unexpecting victims by posing as IT experts.

She said these scammers will call and try to walk you through the problem but really they are trying to get money or personal information.

Harmon also provided some tips on how to avoid some of the lesser known scams.

“There was a couple others ones but they’re not as popular like if you won a prize, but you have to pay a fee with a gift card,” Harmon said. “First of all, did you enter to win that prize? Because how many people have won something that you didn’t even enter in a contest for right? Again, if it sounds too good to be true, that old adage, it most likely is.”

If you think you or someone you know has fallen victim to a scam this holiday season you can report it to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.