Tis The Season---Apparently

In the last week and a half, I've suffered a couple of hacking attempts. The first was a phone call based on an on-line purchase where, I'd been advised there was a problem, and I needed to call for corrective action. I'm no fool, but the website looked legit. It wasn't, and they began asking (in a foreign voice), for my password and personal account cards and numbers (ding, ding, dinggggg!)
I hung up. They began calling.....persistently. You understand how that ended. 😏
The second was this morning. This time, Amazon. I couldn't log in, and as is the process, after several failed attempts, you're req'd to contact their 800-number, which I did. After a relatively pain-free verification process, I was back on board. They told me that an individual had tried to purchase several "gift cards" with my account. Amazon's security shut it down. At first, admittedly, I was a bit pissed for the inconvenience, but after learning what had transpired, and Amazon's due diligence, it felt a wee bit sheepish. Lesson learned my friends.
So, the message is, be vigilant, particularly during our Holidays seasons. If something feels "off" or is not working, it just may be due to outside forces.