With the holiday season coming upon us, most of us will be doing some shopping. It is expected that holiday shoppers will be shopping online in record numbers.
The Better Business Bureau is warning the public about a new scam. Consumers reported shopping on a website they thought was legitimate, or clicking on a link in an email or social media which led them to a shopping website. Customers reported that after putting in their name, address, email address and payment information, they got a message indicating the card was declined. Thinking they didn’t have sufficient funds, the customers usually used a different card, resulting in fraudulent purchases on two cards.
The BBB recommends not immediately grabbing a new form of payment, but suggests reaching out to your bank to see if there is a problem. If you suspect fraud, monitor your credit or debit card transactions for any unusual activity and report it to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker. Here are some tips from the BBB to avoid online scams:
Verify that the website is legitimate: Take a close look at the URL to be sure it is the site you are trying to access, and verify that the website is secure. You want to see https:// in front of the web address.
Watch out for fake emails, texts and ads: Don’t trust messages that come unsolicited and always verify a link before clicking on it. When in doubt, search for the business’s website yourself.
Don’t be lured by great offers: Do some comparison pricing of the product. If the price seems to good to be true, it could be a scam.
Research the business: Look up customer reviews online and search the business on BBB.org and the BBB Scam Tracker.
Use a credit card for extra protection: Credit card companies offer additional protection against fraud.
Check your credit and debit card protections: Research the available protections on your cards. You can also set purchase limits, travel restrictions and notifications of purchases.
Source: USA TODAY
Categorized in: General
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