Europol askes once again Europeans for their help to find them to make the EU a safer place for citizens.

“All of these criminals are on the run, fleeing from responsibility and punishment. This makes it difficult for their victims, their friends and relatives to find closure. Let’s help them and make everyone’s festive season safer by locking these criminals up before the holidays begin,” Europol said.

Europol also announced that from 1^st of December on, the agency will publish on its social media one infographic with a relevant informational message per day for 23 days until Christmas.

In general this campaign aims to raise awareness and keep people safe online during the holidays, so:

• You are adviced to remain alert this season and always report anything suspicious cybercriminal activity to national police.
• Criminals know how to ruin a good Holiday Season, by taking advantage of the season to make some extra business. Make sure you do it safely.
• Make sure your loved ones get the best gifts: always shop in reputable places, and watch out for too good to be true deals. Found a 2good2btrue Christmas present? Think twice before purchasing, it could be counterfeit
• When shopping online, protect your wallet. Look for hints that tell you the website is secure.

Help us make Europe safer!

• Getting gifts in stores? Protect your pincode and never lose sight of your payment card during a transaction. Remember the golden rules
• Going on a shopping spree? Keep an eye on your bank extract for suspicious activity. Check your online banking service regularly and notify your bank immediately if you see payments or withdrawals that you have not made yourself
• Looking to make some extra cash this season? Always carefully, research job offers. You might be helping criminals. Fraudsters can use fake job offers to trick you into reshipping items. If you are offered money to receive a package and send it to someone else, you are being asked to be a parcel mule
• It’s the season of giving, but always double check the authenticity of charities before making a donation. Always double-check the authenticity of a charity before providing personal and financial information and making donations.
• New Christmas theme game available for your phone? Before you download it check the reviews, app permissions and make sure the publisher is reliable. Just because an app is in the official App Store it doesn’t mean it’s legitimate! Check other users’ reviews and the app permissions
• Take the weekend to review your devices security: is all software up to date? Cybercriminals often take advantages of software vulnerabilities. The sooner you install a new update, the less vulnerable your device is to criminals
• When was the last time you backed up your files? Always remember, better safe than sorry! Make sure you save all important files to the cloud & an offline device. Backing up your data can give you the upper hand in case of a ransomware attack.
• How is your password game? Look back on this year, did you use strong enough passwords? Passwords provide the first line of defence against unauthorized access to your electronic devices. The stronger your password, the more protected you will be from criminals and malicious software.
• The only way in for stealthy guests should be the chimney. Keep your devices updated and use an antivirus to avoid backdoor malware. Ransomware holds your data hostage for a price. You can infect your devices visiting compromised websites, clicking on malicious attachments or downloading compromised software.
• Protect your children! They might spent more time online during holidays. Check what you can do as parent to keep them away from online danger. Talk to your child about cyber safety. Listen to their online experiences and explain to them the importance of being just as safe online as offline.
• Still working from home? Don’t let the guard down now, keep applying your company’s best practices. One of the key preventive measures for the spread of Covid-19 is social distancing. If you are working remotely, maintain an adequate level of cybersecurity.
• With the end of the year approaching, there might be the need to close some financial matters… but, watch out for suspicious messages that appear to be coming from senior management and asking for urgent payments. This could be CEO/BEC fraud! Criminals know this and they try to take advantage of the employees' willingness to wrap things up fast.
• Is someone calling for holidays wishes or to get private information out of you? Don’t reply to suspicious messages or calls. If you receive a phone call, seemingly coming from a trustworthy party, such as your bank or even SantaClaus, don't share your personal data! Remember: your bank will never call you to ask for your payment card PIN or online banking password.
• Watch out for urgent messages pretending to be promising Investment Opportunity! Common investment scams may include lucrative investment opportunities such as shares, bonds, cryptocurrencies, rare metals, overseas land investments or alternative energy.
• Public Wi-Fi hotspots can provide an easy way for identity thieves and criminals to monitor what you are doing online to steal your passwords as well as your personal and financial information. Better install a trustworthy #VPN before heading out on your sledge this year!

• Watch out for messages claiming to be from delivery company’s. they might be after your personal info. Posing as delivery services, criminals contact you with links to phishing websites pretending to offer information about a parcel delivery, with the aim of obtaining personal credentials and payment card details.
• Bought a connected toy? Before you put in under the tree, get acquainted with its settings to make sure it’s safe when you hand it over to children. Internet-enabled devices help to educate children through interactive play. However, they also come with a range of security and privacy concerns.
• Looking for last minute travel tickets? Watch out for 2good2betrue deals. From fraudulent flights to non-existing accommodation, holiday fraud is a big business for scammers and is most frequent during peak holiday times, such as December.
• Waiting from Christmas relaxing and playing some games? Watch out for…… Remember, not everyone is who they claim to be online. People can easily lie about who they are online and pretend to be someone they are not, including a friend, a mentor or a boyfriend/girlfriend.
• If you are spending Christmas eve outside away from your house, don’t let criminals know you left your home alone. Refrain from sharing your location on social media platforms. Your digital life needs as much protection as your home. Avoid announcing the dates of your trips or your current location on social media.