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Philippine Showbiz Today
December 22, 2018 - January 7, 2019
Community News
‘Tis the Season for the
Harry Potter Yule Ball
The Scams of Christmas:
most popular scams on
Santa’s naughty list
Vancouver, BC - As we approach the mid-point of De-
cember, it is safe to say that the holiday shopping season is
now in full swing, and it is expected to be record-breaking!
PwC Canada expects Canadian consumers to surpass last
year’s spending total by 3.7%, cashing out at an average of
$1,563 per person. Due to the expected increase in spend-
ing, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is urging consumers
to be mindful of possible scams that could cut into their
holiday cheer.
1. Fake Shipping Notifications: With the increased use
of online platforms and e-stores to purchase gifts, more
people will be receiving delivery notifications from their re-
tailers and carriers. However, some of these communica-
tions could be phishing scams that are designed to look
like they are from reputable businesses, as they oftentimes
use legitimate business names and logos. Opening these
emails and clicking on the links enclosed may allow un-
wanted access to your private information and passwords
and also download malware onto your device.
Things to remember:
Most online vendors provide tracking information that
indicates the delivery company as well as verifies the status
and location of your items.
You should not be required to pay an additional fee to
receive your items as typically, delivery charges are paid
when making the purchase.
Delivery companies do not require your personal infor-
mation to conduct deliveries.
2. Phony Charities: ‘Tis the season for gifts and giving,
as 40% of all charitable donations are received during the
last few weeks of the year. People need to be on the look-
out for fraudulent charities and scammers pretending to be
needy individuals.
How to protect yourself:
Look for sound-alike names. Do not use the size of the
charity or its regional scope to determine its trustworthi-
ness, as charities of all sizes have demonstrated bad ac-
countability practices. Also, do not rely solely on friend rec-
ommendations.
Verify your charity at BBB’s give.org or Canada Rev-
enue Agency. Always donate money using a credit card or
cheque, so that your gift is traceable. Be wary of door to
door solicitations. Ask for written information about the
charity as well as proof of tax deductions.
If you are donating online, ensure you are not using
public Wi-Fi. Do the transaction directly through the char-
ity’s website or through reputable payment portals such as
PayPal or Verified by Visa.
3. Look-alike websites: The holiday season brings end-
less emails offering deals, sales and bargains. Be wary of
the emails you receive and the links enclosed as some may
lead to look-alike websites that are created by scammers to
mimic legitimate websites and trick people into download-
ing malware, making purchases and sharing private infor-
mation.
Safety tips:
Review the sender’s email address. Legitimate busi-
nesses will often send emails with a proprietary address,
like @bbb.org. If you are uncertain about the email, do not
click any of the links. Instead, hover over them to see where
they reroute. Look for misspellings and bad grammar in the
emails you receive and on the websites you visit.
Only enter private information if the website begins with
‘https’, as the ‘s’ means it is secured and will be encrypted.
Contact the company or retailer or visit their website
directly to confirm the promotions.
4. Social Media Gift Exchange: While the thought of
buying 1 gift and getting 36 in return sounds like a great
way to increase the number of boxes under the tree, this is
a pyramid scheme and these are illegal. Stay away from any
offers and invitations that: sound like a quick way to money
or benefits; have no paper trail; require cash only; and in
some cases, prevent you from sharing details of the trans-
action with anyone.
continued from PAGE 26
Feel the festive magic of Hogwarts at Guildford Library
(Thursday, Dec. 20th | 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm)
Register your children (ages 8–12) now for the Harry Potter Yule Ball on
Thursday, December 20 from 3:30 pm to 4:4:30pm at Guildford Library.
Dress up as your favourite characters and enjoy wizard themed activi-
ties, crafts and snacks.
Please register at the Children’s Desk and pick up your free ticket start-
ing December 6 or call 604-598-7369 for more information.
Check out our events calendar for more details:
https://www.surreylibraries.ca/events/harry-potter-yule-ball
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