Exercise caution with online shopping, calls from relatives, and requests for donations

  • Scammers are targeting older Americans during the holiday season
  • Spoofing is a common technique used by scammers to acquire personal information
  • Fake emergency calls using AI technology are becoming more realistic
  • Be cautious when donating to charities and verify their legitimacy
  • Consumers should be on the lookout for online shopping scams

Scammers are taking advantage of the holiday season to target older Americans. Spoofing is a common technique used by scammers to change the details of incoming calls and emails, making them appear legitimate. Fake emergency calls using AI technology are becoming more realistic, with scammers replicating the voices of loved ones. It is important to create a family "safe word" to verify a caller’s identity in case of an emergency. When donating to charities, it is crucial to confirm their legitimacy to avoid falling for charity scams. Consumers should also be cautious when shopping online, ensuring that websites are legitimate and not counterfeit versions. Using a credit card instead of a debit card provides more consumer protections. Remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Public Companies: Social Security Administration (), Target (TGT), Walmart (WMT)
Private Companies:
Key People: Steve Weisman (Editor of Scamicide.com)

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Factuality Level: 7
Justification: The article provides information about common scams that target older Americans during the holiday season. It includes quotes from experts and offers tips on how to protect oneself from scams. The information provided is generally accurate and objective, although it could benefit from more specific examples and statistics to support the claims made.

Noise Level: 7
Justification: The article provides information on common scams that target older Americans during the holiday season. It includes tips on how to identify and avoid these scams. However, the article lacks in-depth analysis or evidence to support its claims. It also does not provide any new knowledge or actionable insights.

Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No

Presence of Extreme Event: No
Nature of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating of the Extreme Event: No
Justification: The article does not pertain to financial topics and does not describe any extreme event.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com