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Last updated on Wednesday, February 12, 2014
(UNDATED) - Valentine’s Day is Friday and scam artists are taking advantage of the holiday. The Better Business Bureau warns residents to look out for these scams:
Social Media Scams
Beware of any "free" love giveaways, like flowers, perfumes, or trips. These "free" giveaways take you to a third-party site, where your personal information can be compromised.
Phishing
Residents will receive an email warning that the gift or flowers you ordered cannot be delivered because of a problem with your debit or credit care. The email will link you to a spoof site where you have to re-enter your debit or credit care information - Don't.
Ecards
An email from "a friend," links to an online greeting card, but when you attempt to download the card, malware goes onto your PC and your personal information is compromised. If you get a Valentine's Day email from someone, unless you confirm that they sent it, don't follow the link!
Instant Messages
If you receive an instant message inviting you to become involved in a romantic online chat, think again. The infamous "Flirt-bot" is a great example of an automated chat program that works with instant messaging sites trying to get you to share information about yourself. It then takes you to a website that requests a credit card number, for proof that the person is over 18.
Catfishing
Scammers use online dating sites to target singles. This is known as catfishing. The scammer creates a fake profile, reels the victim in, and then asks for personal information or money. If your "match" asks for money to cover travel expenses or has a sudden emergency requiring a lot of money, there is a high probability it is a scam.
Valentine Apps or Games for your Mobile Device
Get them only from trusted application markets, and read the fine print. Do they really need all of your personal information? Police say if it sounds too good to be true - it probably is.
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