FOX CROSSING, WI (WTAQ) – Cyber Monday is behind us, but online shopping for the Christmas season will likely continue for the next few weeks.
“It’s just going to ramp up even more, so it’s all the more reason to pay attention to where you’re visiting and where you’re going to be making those potential purchases from online,” said Fox Crossing Community Liaison Officer Dan Wiechman.
While that might be double-checking for fake websites or scam-related issues, Wiechman says to keep an eye out for independent sellers as well. Some people will buy a certain item that’s hard to find or exclusive and try to resell it locally.
For example, if you want a Playstation 5 or other hot item, your quickest option might be to buy from someone who bought them in bulk and is selling them on Facebook Marketplace for over the current market value.
Over the weekend, Fox Crossing Police assisted a resident who ordered a Playstation 5 through a private party and never received it. The seller didn’t respond. The resident used Apple Pay, so Apple required them to file a report with local authorities.
“If you’re making that private transaction between, say yourself with another individual, and that product doesn’t meet your expectations for whatever reason – that makes it a civil matter. So there’s really no criminal activity that we can investigate or enforce,” Wiechman told WTAQ News. “Basically we’d require you to file a small claims suit against the other person in order to try and find some resolution on that matter. There’s nothing that local law enforcement would be able to enforce because of that agreed upon transaction between the two of you.”
Now if that seller is from another jurisdiction and goes ghost when you attempt to reach them about the issue, police could lend assistance in attempting to identify that individual. But they’ll only be working the information you’re able to provide.
However, unless there is legitimate fraud taking place – police likely won’t be able to provide much assistance.
“When it comes down to – you have a product, the other person has cash, it’s exchanged hands, and you’re not satisfied – at the end, it’s going to be upon you as a buyer to handle it civilly in small claims court,” Wiechman explained.
If you’re dealing with a local seller, police always suggest meeting in a public place to conduct the transaction. Police department parking lots or lobbies are usually a safe bet, as they are monitored by video surveillance.
“We’re not guaranteeing any safety or that the product isn’t what you’re going to be expecting, obviously. But I think if both buyer and seller agree to meet in a location like that, the likelihood of there being any type of corrupt activity really decreases,” Wiechman said.
For those shopping online in the traditional sense, Wiechman still had advice to protect yourself and your information.
“Everybody gets emails during this time of year about shopping, trying to get you to click on certain things to go certain locations. That always puts your personal information at risk as well, so just be very careful of where you’re visiting online and where you’re putting your personal information,” Wiechman said. “Be sure to change passwords once in awhile too. Those things can stay around for awhile, or they can even actually get leaked out into the wrong hands if they’re saved on your devices.”
Wiechman recommends shopping with businesses you trust and have patronized in the past – saying those places are likely going to be the stable platforms to continue visiting.
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