For many people, the last month of the year is a time for gathering with friends and family, sharing a meal, and exchanging gifts. And what’s easier than purchasing gifts through your phone or tablet, where you can save payment info and place an order with a tap of your thumb?

Recently, as covered in The New York Times, New York Post, and elsewhere, fake shopping apps have been popping up in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play. These apps have similar names and icons as popular stores and brands, but they exist solely to serve annoying ads, steal your banking information, or infect your device with malware.

Apple and Google work to prevent apps like these from ending up in their stores, but with thousands of new app submissions each day, some fall through the cracks and end up alongside apps from your favorite shopping destinations.

There are usually signs that these apps are fake, but they can be easy to miss. To stay safe, keep an eye out for:

• Apps that have no reviews and no previous versions
• Reviews from other customers who have been scammed
• Apps and app makers with misspelled names (e.g. Footlocke instead of Foot Locker)
• Apps with poorly written text, misspellings, and pop-up ads that cover the text

It’s always more fun to give than to receive, so stay vigilant and be sure you’re not on the receiving end of an app scam.