Better Business Bureau (BBB) has a Naughty List with the top 12 scams of holidays that are most likely to catch consumers and donors off guard.

Many of the scams on this list are facilitated through emails and social media platforms, however the latter is where most people are vulnerable. Exercise caution when coming across social media ads about discounted items, event promotions, job opportunities and donation requests, as well as direct messages from strangers. If you are asked to make a payment or donation by wire or e-transfer, through third parties, by prepaid debit or gift cards, treat this as a red flag.

1. Misleading Social Media Ads: As you scroll through your social media feed, you often see items for sale from a small business. Sometimes the business even claims to support a charity to try to get you to order, or they offer a free trial. BBB Scam Tracker receives reports of people paying for items that they never receive, getting charged monthly for a free trial they never signed up for, or receiving an item that is counterfeit or much different from the one advertised. Do your homework and research the company before ordering. Check out the business profile on BBB.organd read the reviews.

2. Social Media Gift Exchanges: Each holiday season this scheme pops back up, and this year is no different. A newer version of this scam revolves around exchanging bottles of wine; another suggests purchasing $10 gifts online. There is even a twist about “Secret Santa Dog” where you buy a $10 gift for your “secret dog.”

In all of these versions, participants unwittingly share their personal information, along with those of their family members and friends, and are further tricked into buying and shipping gifts or money to unknown individuals. And– it’s an illegal pyramid scheme.

3. Holiday Apps: Apple’s App Store and Google Play list dozens of holiday-themed apps where children can video chat live with Santa, light the menorah, watch Santa feed live reindeer, track his sleigh on Christmas Eve, or relay their holiday wish lists. This holiday season, like last year when COVID-19 caused children to skip the traditional in-person visit with Santa, apps may play a more important role than ever. Review privacy policies to see what information will be collected. Be wary of free apps, as they can sometimes contain more advertising than apps that require a nominal fee. Free apps can also contain malware.

4. Alerts About Compromised Accounts: BBB has been receiving reports on Scam Tracker about a con claiming your Amazon, PayPal, Netflix or bank account has been compromised. Victims receive an email, call, or text message which explains that there has been suspicious activity on one of their accounts, and it further urges them to take immediate action to prevent the account from being compromised. Be extra cautious about unsolicited calls, emails, and texts.

5. Free Gift Cards: Nothing brings good cheer like the word ‘FREE’. Scammers have been known to take advantage of this weakness by sending bulk phishing emails requesting personal information to receive free gift cards. In some of these emails, scammers impersonate legitimate companies like Starbucks and promise gift cards to loyal customers that have been supporting their business throughout the pandemic. They may also use pop-up ads or send text messages with links saying you were randomly selected as the winner for a prize.

If you have received an unsolicited email with gift card offers, do not open it. Instead, mark it as Spam or Junk. However, if you opened the email, do not click on any links.

6. Temporary Holiday Jobs: Retailers typically hire seasonal workers to help meet the demands of holiday shoppers. Shippers and delivery services are top holiday employers this year because of the increase in online orders and the need to get most of these packages delivered before Christmas. These jobs are a great way to make extra money, sometimes with the possibility of turning into a long-term employment opportunity. However, jobseekers need to be wary of employment scams aimed at stealing money and personal information from job applicants. Keep an eye out for opportunities that seem too good to be true.

7. Look-Alike Websites: The holiday season brings endless emails offering deals, sales and bargains. Be wary of emails with links enclosed. Some may lead to look-alike websites created by scammers to trick people into downloading malware, making dead-end purchases and sharing private information. If you are uncertain about the email, do not click any of the links. Instead, hover over them to see where they reroute.

8. Fake Charities: Typically, 40% of all charitable donations are received during the last few weeks of the year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations had to cancel their usual fundraising events and awareness campaigns and are now inviting donors to support online. Donors are advised to lookout for fraudulent charities and scammers pretending to be individuals in need. Avoid impromptu donation decisions to unfamiliar organizations. Responsible organizations will welcome a gift tomorrow as much as they do today. Verify a charity at BBB’s give.orgwebsite. Where possible, donate to the charity through their website and use a credit card.

9. Fake Shipping Notifications: More consumers are making purchases online, there is also an increase in the number of notifications about shipping details from retailers and carriers. Scammers are using this new surge to send phishing emails with links enclosed that may allow unwanted access to your private information or download malware onto your device. They may also try to trick people into paying new shipping fees.

10. Pop Up Holiday Virtual Events: This year, many local in-person events such as pop-up holiday markets or craft fairs, have moved online. Scammers are creating fake event pages, social media posts, and emails, charging admission for what used to be a free event. The goal is to steal credit card information. Confirm with the organizer of the event if there is an admission fee. In the cases where there is a charge, use a credit card. If the event is free, watch for scammers trying to claim otherwise.

11. Top Holiday Wish List Items: Low or ridiculously priced luxury goods, jewelry, designer clothing, and electronics are almost always cheap counterfeits and knockoffs. This year, the Galactic Snackin’ Grogu Animatronic (aka Baby Yoda) and game consoles are some of the items in high demand. Be very cautious when considering purchasing these high-value items from individuals through social sites.

12. Puppy Scams: Many families, especially those with children, may be considering adding a furry friend to their household this year. However, you could fall victim to a pet scam, which is on the rise this year. Request to see the pet in person before making a purchase.

For general information on how to avoid scams, visit BBB.org/AvoidScams.  For more advice, read BBB’s tips on online shopping. If you’ve spotted an online scam, report it to BBB ScamTracker.

Frances Roy Agency, Thoughts Blog

Do you ever feel stuck in a creative rut? We know the feeling! Working in an industry that demands us to be consistently innovative can be draining, but we’ve worked through many creative blocks to know how to overcome them. Here’s how our team ensures we keep our creativity flowing to produce the best work possible for our clients.

Assess yourself.
We suggest starting off with an assessment of your day. What projects excite you and fuel creativity? What tasks drain your creativity? Is there anyone else on the team that enjoys the tasks that drain you? If so, switch off some duties! In addition, learn your peak times of creativity. Are you a morning bird or a night owl? Don’t force yourself to wake up early to complete a project if you know you’ll produce a better-finished product when you are in your prime in the evening. Paying close attention to and tweaking the small parts of your day that affect your inspiration can have a huge impact on your work.

Unplug.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – rest is so important! No one can give 100% all of the time, so it is crucial to give yourself a break to recharge. Instead of just using your downtime to veg out on the couch, we suggest investing this time to do something you enjoy! It doesn’t have to be every day, but listen to your intuition and know when you need this. It isn’t the same for everyone and sometimes you may need this recharging time more than others. Trust what your gut is telling you and take a break when needed. We’ve seen the great benefits in our work when our team takes time away from work to unplug. Creativity usually comes back flowing in full force after much-needed downtime!

Prioritize.
Have you heard the saying “When everything is a priority, nothing is”? Take inventory of what actually needs to be done first and foremost (NOT what you want to check off of your to-do list first). Complete the more draining, creative, bigger, daunting tasks first (or at your peak creativity time we mentioned before) and leave the smaller, mundane tasks for after you complete the bigger concerns or when you don’t have as much mental capacity left for the day or week.

Create a vision board.
Creating a vision board provides creativity, motivation, and illustrates your aspirations and goals. It’s a way to express yourself and to get creative thoughts flowing. You never know, you might just think of your next big idea!

Incorporating these four guidelines into your routine will surely help you increase your creativity when you feel drained. Do you have any other suggestions for keeping creativity flowing? We’d love to know what works for you – email us at hello@francesroy.com.

By Erin Bakker, SRI

In most cases, commercial roofing has to be able to handle heavier and more challenging usage than its residential counterpart. That’s because it doesn’t just sit up there keeping the rain out. Often, a commercial roof is used to hold air conditioning units, ventilation fans, and other heavy equipment. It may even have a door leading to it. In some of the most challenging situations, it might even be used as a deck for a rooftop eatery or for other public activity.

Commercial roofing also poses other challenges. It is usually flat, and this requires extra attention to drainage and resistance to ponding. It also tends to be bigger in terms of square footage, so extra care must be paid to the system used to support the roof.

Not all commercial roofs are flat. Those that have visible slopes are often finished in metal, which lasts longer than shingles and can be more wind-resistant. This, too, requires special expertise to properly install.

Making a roof that will stand up to the extremes inherent in commercial usage requires a roofing contractor to have extra experience. Such a contractor will know exactly how to handle all of the vent protrusions, how to shore up the roof so heavy machinery doesn’t damage it, and even how to build a deck that people can walk or dance on without causing leaks.

Specialty Roofers, Inc., has expert crews for both commercial roofing and residential jobs. Call Specialty Roofers at 850-974-ROOF.