The holiday shopping season can be a great time to score some awesome deals! Unfortunately, it can also be a time to find yourself caught in a scam. Here are some common scams to watch out for this Cyber Monday (and throughout the rest of the season).
- Bogus Deals – Don’t believe an advertised price that is ridiculously low. It may be a scam and you’ll never get the goods you order. Keep in mind that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Bait & Switch Sweepstakes – Never share your personal details on a site whose authenticity you can’t verify. Check the website url closely and hover over links before clicking on them to verify the site you will be taken to. The promised sweepstakes is just the scammer’s bait to get to your information.
- Delivery Problems – If you receive an email claiming there’s been a problem with the delivery of your purchases, be wary - they’re likely scams. First, consider if you made a purchase recently. Then, look carefully over the email for any signs of deception - is it too generic? Does the format match the normal emails from the company?
- Wire Transfers – This Cyber Monday, use your credit card. It offers you the most protection against purchases that don’t turn out to be what you expected. Avoid wire transfers on online items and instead, enjoy the protections of using a credit card - you may even earn rewards while you shop!
