Safe holiday shopping: Tips and tricks to avoid falling victim to a scam [Video]

The holiday season is fast approaching, bringing about one of the biggest shopping seasons. Officials warn consumers to beware of a steal of a deal, as scammers try to steal their personal information.

With Black Friday, Cyber Monday and weeks of Christmas shopping, it’s a popular time for scammers to prey on the most gullible.

Alberta RCMP say they experience higher reports of unauthorized use of credit card information in the run-up to the holidays.

In 2023, Mounties tracked more than 8,500 reports of fraud. According to the service, they received:

• 2,399 reports of fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000

• 6,374 reports of fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000

In the last two months of 2023, the service recorded:

• 432 reports of fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000
• 1,085 reports of fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000

Cybersecurity analyst Ritesh Kotak says not only are scams on the rise, but they’re more sophisticated too thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).

“Before, you used to get …