SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY


All They Want for Christmas Is Your Personal Data


It’s the most wonderful time of year for online hackers to swindle you and ruin your holiday. ::


BY JEFF VOGELPOHL O


nline scammers are planning on having themselves a merry little Christmas — at


your expense. With the holiday season gearing


up, digital predators are hoping you will be too distracted to notice that


Jeff Vogelpohl is an author and tech writer.


the email you just clicked on or the text message you just opened has a malicious attachment and that you’ve just given some hacker overseas access to your confidential information. Your banking account, personal


data, and even passwords are at constant risk of a hack attack. Even trusted sources can be compromised.


Avoid These Scams at All Costs


platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed, it doesn’t mean they’re genuine. If you’re contacted by a recruiter, visit the company’s website and see if they’re really hiring.


You’re told you got the job, so you fill out paperwork that includes your Social Security number and your bank account info for direct deposit, notes Melanie McGovern, director of public relations and social media for the International Association of Better Business Bureaus. Some scams even ask you to pay for training or useless certifications. How to stay safe:


1


Remember that just because ads appear on reputable


PHONY JOB ADS The goal is to gain your personal information.


apps, social media, and other communications to build relationships and trust with their targets, then share their “expertise” on investments, frequently promising large returns and little risk. When investors try to withdraw funds, the companies vanish. How to stay safe: Talk with a financial adviser. And watch for impostor sites that mimic actual companies.


2 84 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | DECEMBER 2025


CRYPTOCURRENCY Scammers use dating apps, messaging


product endorsements, such as fake videos of Kelly Clarkson or Shark Tank judges promoting weight-loss gummies. But what most concerns Amy Nofziger, director of the AARP’s fraud network, are scams where people believe they’ve


3 entered a romance or friendship with a


celebrity. “These are the ones we see the most,” she says. The scammer hits the victim when they are emotionally


CELEBRITY IMPOSTORS Some involve phony


vulnerable, when they might be feeling unworthy, lonely, bored, or grieving the loss of a loved one. How to stay safe: No legitimate celebrity will ever ask for money or personal information online. If you truly believe that you’re communicating with a star, go to the celebrity’s website and contact their management team to confirm, says Nofziger.


4


TECH SUPPORT Consumers age 60 and older are five times


more likely than their younger counterparts to lose money to tech support scams, which cost older Americans more than $175 million in 2023, the Federal Trade Commission reported to Congress in October 2024. The fraud frequently starts


with a pop-up message — often with a logo from companies like Microsoft or Apple — saying your computer has a virus. You click a link or call a supposed


©ISTOCK


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