When looking for gifts online this holiday season, be on the lookout for fake sellers.
Many of these scammers put a lot of effort into making their online sites and social media look legitimate, so it can be hard to tell the difference between genuine sellers and fake ones.
Here are some tips to help protect yourself when shopping online:
  • Stick to Trusted Retailers. Research sites and sellers before you buy. Reading reviews can help you tell whether they are genuine or not.
  • Check the Website URL. Open websites by typing them into your browser, not by clicking on links.
  • Question Cheap Deals. Determine whether deals are too good to be true and consider asking to see high-value items in person before buying from sellers on social media.
Here are some tips to NOT do when shopping online:
  • Buy without doing your research – Don’t rely on reviews found only on the seller’s own website or social media page. Look for online reviews from trusted third-party sources that may call out red flags with the seller or the product.
  • Feel pressured to buy – Don’t fall for gimmicks that say a product is ‘selling fast’ or the ‘product is being discontinued.’ These prompts are designed to make you act impulsively and put yourself at risk.
  • Pay with untraceable currencies – Some scammers may insist on being paid with gift cards, money orders, or cryptocurrencies – forms of payment that are often hard to track.
Keep Your Information Safe
Remember, fraudsters may impersonate banks and other organizations to steal your information:
  • NEVER give out your account number, SSN, or password in response to unsolicited emails, calls or messages.
  • NEVER let anyone take control of your device and request information regarding usernames and passwords.
  • ALWAYS check your accounts, to ensure they remain accurate and look out for inconsistencies in balances and that your transactions are correct.