I’m Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly! We want to grinch-proof your holiday by being alert for holiday scams. Every year, thousands of people in the United States become victims of holiday scams. Scammers can rob you of your hard-earned money, personal information and, at the very least, a festive holiday mood. Scammers target the holidays as people are more frequently shopping online and receptive to phone calls and may not recognize the potential for scams. Please protect yourself from becoming a victim by never giving out personal or financial information and never agree to pay any sum of money by way of gift cards or crypto-currency account. Those are clear indications that it is very likely not legitimate. One-third of all charitable giving is done in December. That means more scam phone calls claiming to be legitimate charities trying to exploit your goodwill using fake websites and pushy telemarketers. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself from scammers this holiday season: Pay by credit card. This way, you can dispute charges and limit the damage if the transaction was fraudulent. Beware of pushy phone calls; legitimate charities will accept your donations on your own timeline. Never make a purchase or a donation by wire transfer or gift card. And remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t let these grinches steal your holiday spirit. If you believe you have been scammed, report it to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office by calling 386-313-4911.