The holidays bring great deals, but they also bring scammers looking to steal your money and personal information.
What’s Happening: The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers to watch out for fake websites and sketchy online deals during the holiday season. Scammers create websites that look like real stores to trick people into giving up their credit card information.
What’s Important: You can protect yourself by checking three things before you buy: Make sure the website has contact information, look for “HTTPS://” and a lock icon in the web address, and read the return policy carefully.
Between the Lines: Some warning signs are easy to spot if you know what to look for.
- Fake websites often copy the design of real stores but leave out phone numbers or physical addresses.
- Real shopping sites will have secure checkout pages with a lock icon next to the web address.
What to Know: Not all online purchases can be returned. Some stores charge restocking fees or won’t take back certain items at all. Read the fine print before you click buy.
The Big Picture: Online shopping scams don’t just happen during the holidays. These tricks work year-round, but scammers ramp up their efforts when more people are shopping online. The Better Business Bureau runs a program called AdTruth that teaches people how to spot fake advertisements before they become victims.
The Sources: Better Business Bureau.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
