Shoppers, beware online fraudsters
Fake websites account for nearly 36% of reports to BBB Scam Tracker
Cyber Week warning: The website you just spotted with great deals on super gifts could indeed be fake. Yeah, it might not really be the Amazon site after all.
Nearly 36% of all online retail fraud reports to the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker started when the consumer was lured to a fake website, which might try to impersonate a well-known brand name retailer or possibly use a different name. The scammers are finding potential victims via social media and email.
Just because a name pops up on social media or via a search engine doesn’t mean it’s legitimate.
Fake social media ads are fairly common this time of the year, said Lauren Schalk, a spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan.
A consumer often will click on the link or buy on a website that isn’t even real, she said.
Many retailers, including Amazon, warn about the potential for scammers impersonating the site. Amazon warns that emails sent by scammers even might direct you to a website that looks similar to the Amazon Pay website. The crooks will ask you to provide account information like your email address and password combination. Don’t do it.
Online shopping scam reports to BBB Scam Tracker remain just under all-time highs reached in 2021 with losses approaching $380 million.
“We recommend Googling the website and reading the reviews beforehand,” Schalk said. And again, watch out for anyone who has a hot ticket item at a ridiculously low price. “If the ‘sale’ looks too good to be true, then it probably is,” Schalk said.
The BBB suggests that shoppers review a website’s URL for misspellings or other errors. It’s also possible to examine the URL with Google’s Transparency Report tool.
Also consider using Fakespot.com to detect unreliable product reviews and some bad sellers online.
In some cases, scammers can purchase online ads that appear to be legitimate retailers, but instead provide the crooks a way to connect with shoppers and steal sensitive information and money, according to an alert from AARP.
Three out of four consumers said they experienced or had been targeted by at least one type of fraud that can be tied to the holidays, including online shopping scams, fake charities and fake notifications about shipping issues.
I don’t know about your email but I’m already flooded with all sorts of 50% off sales, deals on shirts for $29.99 and Buy One, Get One free promotions on toys and more.
If we’re typically getting emails on sales, why wouldn’t we expect scammers to try to slip in one or two promotions via email too?
Kathy Stokes, AARP’s director of fraud prevention, Fraud Watch Network, recommends typing the company’s website into your browser, rather than clicking a link in an ad.
The goal is to avoid interacting with fake links that could steal login information or load malicious software onto your device.
Half of consumers age 18 to 34 say they have purchased a product or service through clicking an advertisement they saw on social media in the past 12 months. And more than one third in that age group experienced fraud when trying to buy something through an online ad, according to a survey conducted for the AARP of U.S. consumers age 18 and older. ANR Market Research Consultants completed 2,012 phone interviews in August and September.
Consumer watchdogs advise using a credit card when possible as you shop online. While you run into a scam or fraud after paying with your debit card, you’re immediately out the money from your bank account. And while the bank investigates, you do not have access to that cash to pay your bills.
It’s also important to remember this time of the year that scammers sometimes impersonate customer service too. Legitimate online retailers, such as Amazon and eBay, will not ask you for login information to provide you with customer support.
And yes, scammers sometimes find ways to buy online ads that will connect you to a fake customer support line, staffed by the crooks. Look at your own billing and credit card statements to find the real numbers for customer support.
A New York City woman, for example, lost more than $2,700 when she attempted to get U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament tickets from Ticketmaster. The BBB noted that the consumer searched the internet for a helpline after she had trouble making a payment.
But she obtained a phone number online for a fake customer service line. The person who answered then convinced her to buy Target gift cards for them to ensure the purchase for those tickets would go through.
She received a convincing but fake purchase confirmation email from them. Then, the impostor asked for even more money. And she fortunately did not lose even more cash once she became suspicious.