MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) — Holiday shopping is here and if you’re planning to do your shopping online, make sure you’re keeping yourself safe from scams.
State consumer protection administrator Frank Frassetto says you need to be wary of unsolicited coupons in your email, text messages or social network streams. “Especially from sites you might not be familiar with. It’s always a good idea not to click on links in those emails that come your way, because that has the opportunity for a scam artist to get access to your personal information.” He says if an ad looks shady or too good to be true, it probably is. Just delete it or ignore it and move on.
The same goes for ads on other websites as well. Frassetto says phishing sites or phony websites masquerading as a big name retailer could have some tell tale differences. “If you’re on a website, make sure that you’re not seeing bad grammar or misspelled words. That could be a pretty clear indication that you’re on a website you really shouldn’t be on.” Frassetto says the best way to check those ads is by opening a new window and heading to the main page of the retailer in question. If you’re unsure about a site or a set of ads you’ve received, simply close the webpage or the email and move on.
There’s also a lot of ads with limited time offers especially for Black Friday. Frassetto says you need to keep a close eye on the ads you’re getting and make sure the price is right. “Make sure that you’re reading the fine print. Ads that are coming in on certain days may have different terms than a typical sale that is not targeted for a specific day.” You should always make sure that the price you’re looking for is what’s in your online shopping cart before you check out.
