Don’t be scammed
Safety tips for holiday shopping
The holiday season has arrived and with that comes some of the busiest shopping days of the year.
The holidays also usher in an influx of scammers.
“The holidays are the time of year when we gather to celebrate traditions and spend time with family,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a news release. “Unfortunately, it is also a time of year when bad actors take advantage of the increase in consumer sales to gain access to personal and financial information.”
Online shopping and home deliveries for example can provide opportunities for criminals to masquerade as delivery companies.
Consumers who are not expecting a home delivery or are unsure if someone has sent a
package are advised to “not click the link.” Doing so could take the victim to a fake site where they will be asked to enter more details to provide their identity or pay a nonexistent fee. Checking the link could also potentially download malware to a consumer’s device.
Instead, login directly to the account where you placed the order to get tracking information.
If you are expecting a package from someone, be patient. If there is a problem with that delivery, the company will contact the person who sent the package directly, not the recipient.
Beginning Friday, and continuing through midDecember, the Attorney General’s website will focus on educating consumers on the numerous scams and tactics used to cheat Michiganders out of their funds during the holidays.
The delivery scam is among those that the public need to be aware of.
Other information on the site will provide tips and resources surrounding big shopping days such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday including ways to keep your credit card accounts safe.
Creating a strong password and PIN number are among the tips, as well as keeping the information private and shredding documents like statements before they go into the trash bin.
Nessel has also reissued her online shopping and wise charitable giving consumers alerts.
Online tips for the holiday season include:
• Being sure you know the retailer. Shopping locally enables you to get to know a business and how it relates to consumers but on the web some businesses are fabricated by people who just want your credit card information or other personal details. Avoid online retailers if you cannot verify their listed physical locations or customer service phone numbers. Then following up on any listed information by doing an online search.
• Do an online image search of the product and any other images the seller has posted to see where the product is coming from, how much it really costs and who is selling it.
• When making online purchases, pay with a credit card. Credit cards provide protections that allow you to dispute charges if an item is not delivered or is not as advertised.
• Don’t give someone remote access to your device. Never hand over control of a computer or device, unless the owner of the device initiated contact with the company.
• Don’t pay with gift cards. A legitimate business will never ever ask a shopper to pay by gift card.
Those looking to make a donation to a charity this holiday season are encouraged to review the AG Charity Search Database to verify worthy causes. The Wise Charitable Consumer Alert also provides insight on certain questions related to giving to an organization or cause.
Those looking to shop local are encouraged to check out the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Support Local campaign, which provides resources online to help residents shop and eat local.
Consumers who have complaints can also file them online at michigan. gov/ag/complaints or call 877-765-8388.
“Michigan residents deserve peace of mind this holiday season and should take advantage of the resources available through the Department of Attorney General to help protect themselves from scammers,” Nessel said.
Toy recalls
Another area of concern among consumers is product safety. As part of the holiday consumer campaign the AG’s consumer protection team has put together a recall roundup for the coming season.
Since toys should be fun, educational, and safe, this toy guide is a great tool to review before shopping for children this season and beyond. Not only can you determine what has been recalled, but the guide also provides the steps you can take to ensure the product is repaired, replaced, or refunded.
The complete list of recalled products can be found on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website: A complete list of recalled products can be found on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website at cpsc. gov/Recalls