The FBI reminded American shoppers to be alert against scams during the holiday shopping season, noting that thousands of people become victims of fraud during this period every year.
“Scammers can rob you of hard-earned money, personal information, and, at the very least, a festive mood.”
The FBI detailed some of the common scams people should watch out for.
In non-delivery frauds, consumers do not receive products they paid for, while auction frauds are when shipped products are different from what the customers bought. Sometimes, online sellers could end up getting scammed as buyers skip payments.
“The IC3 receives a large volume of complaints in the early months of each year, suggesting a correlation with the previous holiday season’s shopping scams,” an FBI field office previously said.
More than 183 million Americans are expected to shop online and in-store between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Black Friday was found to be the most popular shopping day, followed by Cyber Monday.
Meanwhile, attorneys general of multiple states have also issued warnings to customers, reminding them to be vigilant against holiday scams.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen asked people not to use gift cards or wire transfers to make a payment, stating that those who ask for such payments are “most likely a scammer.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned citizens against “gift card draining” scams, according to a Nov. 26 statement. In this scam, “bad actors record pin numbers and other information from unpurchased gift cards.”
Protection From Scams
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned Americans that if they see “unusually low prices,” it should be taken as a sign of a scam. The notice asked people to avoid clicking on ads as the visitor could be transferred to a scam site.FTC advised consumers to do some basic research, especially if purchasing from unfamiliar sellers. This includes looking up legitimate seller reviews, and checking if there are consumer complaints or scams associated with them.
“Pay by credit card, whenever possible. Credit cards offer more protections, and give you the option to dispute charges if what you get isn’t what you ordered, or you get nothing at all,” the agency said.
“Check the terms of the sale. Look at the price, other charges, their refund policy, who pays for return shipping, and if there’s a restocking fee.”
The FBI also recommended customers to practice “good cybersecurity hygiene.” For instance, people should avoid clicking suspicious links or open unknown attachments. Typically, e-commerce websites should have “https” in their web address.
When purchasing online, customers must get tracking numbers to keep an eye on the shipping, the FBI advised.
“Be wary of sellers who post an auction or advertisement as if they reside in the U.S. but then respond to questions by stating they are out of the country on business, family emergency, or similar reasons.”
“Avoid sellers who act as authorized dealers or factory representatives of popular items in countries where there would be no such deals,” it said.
All complaints are stored in the agency’s Consumer Sentinel database which can be accessed by law enforcement across the nation. Case reports are shared with “more than 2,800 law enforcement partners.”
