Our ultimate guide to getting scammed this Christmas

If you’re looking to get scammed out of your money, identity or both this festive season, then we have the ultimate guide for you. Follow these tips and you’ll soon find criminals emptying your bank account and signing you up for an array of debt in no time!

Blindly trust all hyperlinks.

Whether it’s a suspicious email that’s landed in your inbox, or dubious links appearing on your social media newsfeed, blindly trusting what every link tells you is vital to ensuring you get scammed promptly, as is recklessly clicking them and assuming whatever lies on the other side of the link is completely genuine.

So no matter if the link lands on a spoof log-in page asking you to type in your password, or directs you to some poorly designed website offering iPads for $5, just assume everything is above board and be willing to hand over those debit card details at a moment’s notice.

Blindly trust attachments, too.

If malware is your thing, then opening up email attachments you were not expecting is also a must-do.

Whether an email is telling you to view a delivery invoice, a festive E-card, payment info about an online order or any other kind of attachment you may be expecting over Christmas, just thoughtlessly open up that attachment, and see how long it takes for your computer to acquire a pretty nasty malware infection. It’ll be no time at all.

Also, blindly trust random websites

If you want to get swindled, there is little point sticking to reputable websites with track records of customer satisfaction. Instead you want to find online websites you’ve never heard of, and DO NOT research these websites, since using handy tools like Google may reveal these websites to be dishonest.

The cheaper looking the website, the more likely it will live up to your goal of scamming you. If the deals on it look too good to be true (see below) then that is a bonus!

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Deals that are too good to be true are the best kind of deals!

If you want to get scammed, we recommend sticking to those deals that are just too good to actually be true. So whether you see the latest gaming console on some random website that is thrice as cheap as it is anywhere else, or you’re being told you can obtain the latest iPhone for free just for signing up to a ‘rewards program’, assume that the Internet cannot possibly deceive you, and go ahead and give these people your personal/payment information as soon as possible, without discussing it with anyone else.

Don’t use security software or update anything.

Scammers love finding vulnerabilities in the software you’re using. So if you want to offer them full access to your computer, refusing any updates to your operating system or web browser, along with other software you use, is certainly on the shortlist of things you’ll need to do.

It’ll be no time at all before criminals will be exploiting you with vulnerabilities that previous updates would have prevented from happening.

Similarly, don’t ever use security software, as this has been proven to prevent criminals exploiting such vulnerabilities, and may actually warn you if you’re about to do something to compromise your computer security.

Do your shopping and online banking on unsecured, public Wi-Fi.

Who needs your own secured, password protected Wi-Fi when you can log in and do all your important online errands on public Wi-Fi. This way you’re more than likely at some point to come across someone using relatively basic eavesdropping tools to intercept your sensitive information, and voila, you’re security is compromised!

Western Union is the best way to never see that money again.

If you want to send someone your money only to never see it again and get nothing in return, Western Union (or MoneyGram) is certainly your best bet. Since legitimate retailers wouldn’t dare dream of using some a payment option, it is often used by criminals posing as online retailers.

So if getting scammed out of your hard earned cash is the step you want to take, use these money transfer services for the most speedy method of getting scammed.

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Hand over your money to strangers over the Internet.

Found the love of your life over the Internet during Christmas but they don’t want to meet in real life? Then just assume they’re exactly who they say they are despite the fact that they’ve only given you photos (which could be stolen) and basic information about themselves (which they could have made up.)

And if they ask for money? Don’t question it – and don’t speak to anyone about it for their opinion. You’ll be scammed in no time.

Act hastily, don’t ask others and don’t be sceptical.

The best way to get scammed this Christmas is to just ignore any common sense advice. This means to act hastily, don’t think about what you’re doing and just assume the Internet would never lie to you and that everyone and every site you encounter can be explicitly trusted.

Also, never ask anyone for their advice or what they think, and never display any scepticism to any offers or suspicious links. Assume everything is fine and above board, and you’ll soon find yourself in all kinds of online trouble in no time!