Scams are a daily occurrence, but during the holidays, they increase dramatically. The reason for this is the rise in online shopping. Do your part to avoid scams.
The two most common holiday scams are ones that target the buyer and the seller. In a non-delivery scam, the victim is the buyer who pays for services or goods online, but those items never arrive. The other is non-payment scams, where the seller ships goods or services, but the buyer never pays.
Avoid scams:
- Remain vigilant online; don’t click on links or open attachments from email addresses or phone numbers you don’t recognize. Do not assume that the email and its contents are legitimate.
- Don’t give out your banking information; your bank will never call, email, or text you for your account information.
- Don’t give out your social security number online.
- Use complex passwords and never repeat the same password across multiple sites.
- Check the website’s URL. Is it legitimate and secure?
- If you purchase items from a company for the first time, check Google reviews first.
- Watch for sellers that advertise as based in the U.S. but respond to any questions stating they are out of the country.
- Always get tracking numbers for purchases online.
- If you are a seller, always wait on the card holder’s authorization before shipping products.
- Avoid buyers that request you ship their purchase using a specific method to avoid customs or taxes.
Whether you are the seller or buyer, if a deal sounds too good to be true, that is often the case. Buy from people you trust. Sell to people you trust.
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