That "gonna find out who's naughty and nice" line from Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is meant to describe Jolly Old St. Nicholas, but it could just as easily describe the efforts put forth by the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Rockford's BBB has put together a naughty list with the top 12 scams going on right now in the holiday season that are most likely to catch our local consumers and the good people who donate money at this time of year off guard.

Seriously, having a relative's behavior ruin the holidays is one thing (they're family, what are you going to do?), but having some Christmastime con artist wreck things for you and your family is unacceptable.

Getty Images
Wait, who ordered 50 Chia Pets? (Getty Images)
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Many Of The Scams On The Rockford BBB's List Involve Emails And Different Social Media Platforms

Which is why the BBB really stresses the importance of being vigilant and careful about who and what you respond to or click on when you see it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.

Rockford BBB's Dennis Horton:

We advise consumers to exercise caution when they come across social media ads about discounted items, event promotions, job opportunities, and donation requests, as well as direct messages from strangers.

If you are asked to make a payment or donation by wire or e-transfer, via a payment app, such as CashApp, Venmo or Zelle, or through third parties, by prepaid debit or gift cards, you should treat this as a red flag as well.

gloved black hand of a thief stealing Christmas gifts next the xmas trees
Relax, it's just a guy trying on the gloves he got from Santa. Not everyone's a criminal. (Getty Images)
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It's Not Just The Puppy Scam That's Taking Money And Breaking Hearts, There Are Plenty Of Other Tricks Being Used To Get At Your Money And Personal Info

I don't have the space here for a full description of what all these scams involve, so I've attached a link to each that you can check out if you're interested, which should get you right up to speed. Here are the BBB's 12 Holiday Scams to be on the lookout for:

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