By now the holiday season is in full swing and many of us are visiting friends and relatives, shopping, dining out and other similar activities.This season is also one of generosity and benevolence as people are more inclined to want to help their fellow brothers and sisters who may need support.That being said, it is also the time for scam artists and con men to attempt to line their pockets with other's money. Don't be a victim and just keep these simple tips in mind as you enjoy the holidays.

1.Don't openly count money you withdraw while standing at an ATM machine or getting cash back from a cashier.One never knows for sure who is watching as you obtain that withdrawal and there are cases where people who have withdrawn money end up being mugged. Take the receipt, pocket the change and count it in a secure location as soon as you can.The receipt will assist you if there was an error.2. On the subject of ATM machines, make sure you use a device that is located in a high traffic location to ensure there are plenty of people around at all times making you less attractive prey to a would-be thief.3.If you are using a drive-thru ATM, make sure you lock the doors, leave the car running at all times and allow enough of a buffer between you and the car in front of you to get away if you need to do so.4.Do not wear flashy jewelry, expensive watches and similar items when using an ATM.Their appearance is extra incentive to a would-be thief to come after you.5.Memorize your PIN number. Do not write it down and especially DO NOT write it on the back of your ATM card.Also, if your card appears to be "eaten" by the ATM machine, do not repeatedly enter your PIN number. The machine may be compromised and recording the PINs only to match them up with the card later.Another area that ends up being popular for scammers are phone charity solicitations. In these little con games, solicitors will use a name similar to a charity or sometimes even the actual charity to solicit funds from unsuspecting victims. According to the IRS, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from phone scammers.1.Verify the name of the charity who is soliciting you for donations. Many scammers will adopt names that sound like bona fide charities but are indeed fraudelent.The IRS says only real charitable organizations' donations are tax deductible.If you are not sure, you can look up qualified charities using a tool on their website called the "Exempt Organizations Select Check Tool". Make sure they are real.2.Do not supply any personal information to a charity phone solicitor.They do not need to know your Social Security Number,bank account numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. to record your donation.Identity thieves will use this information to steal and create a fraudulent identity with your information.3.Do not send cash to anyone through the mail.First, you cannot get credit on your tax returns if you send cash because there is no record of your donation.Second, cash is too easily stolen by unscrupulous people and because there is no history it becomes permanently lost if the mail Is stolen by a scam artist.Another similar scam is being used to prey upon senior citizens and older folks is the grandmother/grandfather con game.In this game, the victim receives a phone call supposedly from their grandchild. Typically the story is the grandson or grand daughter was vacationing on Spring/Winter break.For one reason or another, the child says they have gotten into trouble and need help to bail them out.They will convince the grandparent not to tell their father or mother so that they don't get in to trouble for contacting them.After they do that, they will ask the older person to send money to a specific location.If they are successful, they will boldly ask for more and more money until the person becomes wise or they get bilked out of their savings.One way to protect yourself from this con is to insist on verifying the person's identity first. You can do this by asking personal questions that are not easily discovered through normal channels. Next do not allow your emotions to rush you into any situation without carefully considering what is happening. Listen to your instincts and if you do not trust what you are hearing, take some time to verify identities. One way to do this is talk to their family members to verify they are where the scammer claims to be located.The Christmas season is a joyous wonderful time for everyone, but we must always be on our guard as there are so many ways to liberate us from our earnings and identities.If you take the smart approach and follow common sense guidelines, it will go a long way to keep you, your identity and your wallet safe which in turn will guarantee 2014 to start on a high note.From me to you, my loyal readers, thanks for a wonderful year and I look forward to writing more next year. Happy New Year and see you in 2014.Til next time …