Unfortunately, amid this season of generosity and brotherly love, ne’er-do-wells work to take advantage of people to steal their money.

The Alpena County Sheriff’s Office this week warned of a scam in which individuals call residents and pretend to be from the Sheriff’s Office, sometimes even using technology to make it appear they’re calling from the Sheriff’s Office’s number. The callers then give residents some kind of frightening story to try to scare them into sending money over the phone or with a prepaid gift card.

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office, meanwhile, this week issued warnings both about online shopping for the holiday season and about giving to charities online.

We urge all readers to be careful this season and be on the lookout for scammers trying to get your Christmas money.

Here are some tips for staying safe while shopping and donating this holiday season:

∫ Never give out money to anyone who calls you. If someone calls you claiming to be from a trusted source but asking for money, hang up, find the verified phone number for the place they’re claiming to call from, and call them back yourself. Most places won’t ask for money over the phone.

∫ The safest bet when shopping and donating online is to stick to websites you trust. Look for an “https” in front of the Web address, which means the website is secure.

∫ If visiting a website for the first time, do some research. Look for customer service phone numbers and home addresses, see what kind of reviews the site has on other sites such as Yelp, and make sure they have return policies.

∫ If buying or giving online, use your credit card instead of your debit card. It’s easy to dispute credit card charges and that way scammers can’t get access to your bank account.

∫ If you suspect you’re the victim of fraud, call your bank and credit card companies to report the fraud and notify the police.

Of course, the safest holiday shopping and giving happens locally. Visit a local small business and give to a local charity to make sure your dollars stay safe and to turbocharge the local economy.

Safe shopping, everyone!