Last-minute holiday shopping is all but inevitable. These tips can help you make smart, secure purchases and avoid scams.
- Do your research.
- Before buying, take a moment to research the product(s) you’re looking for and current sales. Compare any deals carefully, checking ads for important exclusions or limitations. Restrictions might involve the number of sale items available or promotion times and dates.
- Read online reviews to learn about other shoppers’ experiences, both good and bad. Check reviews on multiple websites to ensure credibility.
- Think and act skeptically if you find a hard-to-find item at a great price. Live by the maxim “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
- Keep cybersecurity in mind.
- When shopping online, don’t use free public Wi-Fi; others may be able to view and capture your credit-card number and other sensitive information.
- To ensure that a site is secure, look for the “s” in “https” in the address bar. Always make sure that the site you’re on is the company’s official site; knockoff sites often have small misspellings or variations in the web address.
- Before making an online purchase, carefully review the expected delivery date and shipping costs. Also, use credit cards instead of debit cards or other payment methods because credit cards generally have more consumer protections.
- Monitor your accounts.
- Regularly check your bank and credit-card accounts for unauthorized charges or unexpected activity. If you notice anything unusual, immediately notify your credit-card provider or bank. The sooner you identify a problem, the sooner you can work to correct it.
- Watch out for business impersonation scams.
- Unexpected calls or emails claiming that you have purchased an item should raise a red flag. Verify unfamiliar “purchases” directly with the retailer using contact information from the company’s official website.
- Do not call back the number on your caller ID or the phone number mentioned in the message.
- Be smart when buying gift cards.
- Ensure that the security film on a gift card hasn’t been scratched or replaced. Scammers tamper with cards to steal funds.
- Be sure to monitor the delivery of gift cards to prevent theft.
- Mail gift cards directly from a post office; don’t use an unlocked mailbox.
- Don’t be a victim to package-tracking scams.
- A package-tracking scam may involve an email alert informing you of a “delay” in the shipping of a package. The email either asks you to provide personal information or click on a link for additional information. Providing personal information, however, could lead to financial harm, and clicking on suspicious links can infect your device with malicious software.
- Keep both your shipping confirmation emails and a list of the retailers from which you’ve ordered.
- Don’t click on links or download any attachments if you’re unsure whether the sender is legitimate. If you have questions or want to verify an email supposedly from that shipper, contact the shipping company using the contact information on its official website.
One additional tip: Be sure to promptly retrieve delivered packages to prevent them from being stolen or damaged outside your door.
Consumers who believe they have been defrauded should immediately report the details and contact the company used to make the payment. Ohioans can report scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.