Keep the grinches at bay this holiday season

| December 19, 2015 5:33 PM

They most likely aren’t green furry creatures with bright yellow eyes, but there are plenty of Christmas grinches lurking around the Flathead Valley trying their best to spoil the holiday season for other folks.

“We do see a lot of Christmas decorations and Christmas lights being stolen,” Flathead Sheriff’s Detective Cmdr. Brandy Hinzman said. “That’s just rotten.”

Thieves also target packages delivered to homes and even mail that might contain gift cards.

“I think there are thieves that specifically target that knowing that people might have cards with money or other presents coming,” Hinzman said.

“If at all possible, have things shipped to your workplace. I think that is one of the biggest things. Send it somewhere where someone is going to be there. It’s sad to say, but in this day and age it’s not really safe to have the UPS man leave a giant box of Christmas gifts at your door where people can see them.”

And just like the heartless Dr. Seuss character, holiday party poopers often wait until people are away from their homes or asleep to commit Christmas crimes.

Hinzman said it is also a good idea to leave porch or inside lights on during the holidays.

“People are going to parties and people know that you are not going to be home,” Hinzman said.

While old-fashioned break-ins are still popular, crooked schemers with even a smidgen of technological savvy can cut out the bulk of the physical work of a theft these days by sneaking into email accounts or other cyber media to victimize online shoppers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation put out a warning this season that tells of the dangers of posting information about gifts on social media.

Some of the most popular holiday gifts every year are concert tickets, but many people show up at their dream show only to realize that a scammer was able to hijack the bar code from a brag post made to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and print a fake ticket with a passable bar code.

The FBI issued the following additional tips people can use to avoid becoming victims of cyber fraud:

Check your credit card statement routinely.
Protect your credit card numbers from “wandering eyes.”
Do not respond to unsolicited spam e-mail.
Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, since the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.
Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are actually directed to and determine if they match and lead you to a legitimate site.
Log on directly to the official website for the business identified in the e-mail instead of linking to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
If you are requested to act quickly or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.
Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information on their official website.

Reporter Megan Strickland may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.