Last year’s Cyber Monday set records for the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history. With those records, scammers are finding new ways to steal your information.
The Roanoke Better Business Bureau recommends always shopping on websites that you know and trust. Scammers like to create look-alike websites, that at first glance, appear to belong to a trusted retailer. When shopping, make sure websites use the correct spelling of a business name and have legitimate contact information.
“Don’t click on that link that comes up in your social media feed that looks like it’s got this great deal on designer merchandise or something you can’t find anywhere else, that maybe you have been searching for. So now it is targeting you,” said Julie Wheeler, the CEO of Roanoke Better Business Bureau.
Also, price check before you buy. Dozens of online retailers will claim to have the best price on an item, but their offers can be misleading.
Always make sure to set a budget when shopping and know what each stores return policy’s are.
“If you deal with specific vendors that you know what their policy is, that is great but if you don’t, find out on the front end because you could end up in a problem and won’t be able to get a store credit or have a restocking fee or not being able to return it at all,” said Wheeler.
As you make purchases, make sure to always shop with a credit card. This way if any suspicious charges turn up, you will be able to cancel them.