The holiday shopping season has begun, with Black Friday over and Cyber Monday approaching on December 2. As such, the FBI has issued a warning to consumers about the increase in online scams.
The agency advises shoppers to remain vigilant and not let the excitement of the season interfere with their judgment. They emphasize the importance of verifying the authenticity of online retailers and being cautious with unsolicited offers.
The FBI highlighted several common scams that consumers should be aware of. These include non-delivery scams, where customers pay for items but never receive them; non-payment scams, where goods are shipped but payment is never received; auction fraud, where products are misrepresented on auction platforms; and gift card fraud, where sellers request payment via pre-paid cards.
A 2023 report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center highlighted that such scams led to significant losses last year, totaling over $309 million for non-payment and non-delivery issues, with an additional $173 million lost to credit card fraud.
To help consumers protect themselves, the FBI recommends several precautionary measures, including avoiding clicking on suspicious links, carefully assessing requests for password changes, knowing the identities of online sellers, being mindful of payment methods, and tracking the packages and payment sources.
The agency cautions that shoppers should always be skeptical of deals that appear too good to be true during the holiday season or at any other time of the year.
Have you fallen victim to a scam? File a report about holiday scams at ic3.gov, which is the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additionally, reach out to your bank or credit card company to contest any questionable charges.