The holiday shopping season is in full swing and no one’s more prepared than scammers. Every year, thousands of people become victims of holiday scams, according to the FBI, and most involve shoppers paying for a product or service that was misrepresented and never shipped or received. They report that in 2023 alone, non-payment and non-delivery scams cost consumers over $309-million and credit card fraud led to another $173-million in losses.
The FBI is warning shoppers to “always be wary” of deals that seem too good to be true while scoping out Cyber Monday deals today. They caution people to be especially cautious of “grifts” like auction fraud, non-delivery scams, gift card fraud and non-payment scams.
Here’s how to protect yourself and avoid becoming a scam victim.
- Don’t click on any “suspicious” links or attachments in emails, on websites or social media, especially if prompted to give personal information to get access.
- Verify all website URLs are legitimate and secure. Look for a padlock in the address bar and “https” at the beginning of the address.
- Do your research before buying from an unknown company for the first time. Check reviews and avoid sellers with none at all.
- Avoid buyers who offer sketchy shipping methods or who offer to avoid customs or taxes in another country.
- Steer clear of risky payment arrangements, like wire transfers or pre-paid gift cards.
- Keep a record of all transactions, tracking information and shipping details, and dispute any suspicious transactions.
Source: FBI
Scott's Thoughts:
- Between the porch pirates and scammers, there sure are a lot of grinches out there trying to ruin the holidays!
- These criminals need to be caught and prosecuted!
- I have narrowly avoided a few scams through the years.