The annual holiday season brings with it many things. Unfortunately, one of them is a marked uptick in scams.
To fight this annual intrusion, the Harris County Attorney’s Office urges residents to be vigilant against these scams and fraud attempts.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers across the country lost more than $10 billion to fraud last year — a 14% increase compared to 2022. During a recent press conference, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee emphasized the importance of heightened awareness during transactions, especially throughout the next few months.
“We want you to be alert, and we want you to protect your personal information,” said Menefee, who also shared specific tips to avoid falling victim to potential scams:
Stop and think before entering personal information
Use multi-factor authentication
Keep technology updated with the latest software
Monitor financial accounts and report suspicious or unusual activity.
The challenge: these scams come in all forms, and often target seniors.
Luckily, the scammer, in that case, didn’t get the funds. However, the $538 million older adults reported losing in 2022 reveals that many other seniors were not so fortunate. Moreover, holiday season scams hit national wallets hard. In 2023, potential losses from cybercrime for people of all ages during the holidays exceeded $12.5 billion. Menefee is urging residents to report suspected scams to his office, either online, by emailing ConsumerHelp@harriscountytx.gov, or by texting 346-354-7459.
