The holidays are a happy time for food, family, andfriendship, but they are also a time for fraud. Consumers can fall into anynumber of traps over the holidays and become victim to identity thieves,hackers and deceptive merchants online.
Scamshopping sites online
Look for the BBB seal when shopping online … click on theseal to confirm it is legitimate … unfamiliar shopping websites--check thebusiness out with the BBB before you buy
Findingthe season’s hottest toys and gadgets online
Shop locally on Craigslist and conduct the transaction inperson—never wire money as payment … purchasing items on auctions like eBay,research the seller extensively and listen to your doubts if the deal doesn’tsound legit
Identitytheft at the mall
Don’t let yourself get bogged down in purchases and losetrack of your wallet … know where your credit and debit cards are at all times… cover the keypad when entering your pin number while purchasing items orgetting money from the ATM
Boguscharitable pleas
Always research a charity with the BBB Wise GivingAlliance before you give to see if the charity meets the 20 Standards forCharity Accountability
Phishinge-mails
Don’t click on any links or open any attachments toe-mails until you have confirmed that they are not malicious … beware ofunsolicited e-mails from companies with which you have no association … makesure you have current antivirus software
For more advice on being a savvy consumer this holidayseason, visit us online at www.bbb.org or call(409) 835-5348 or (800) 685-7650
