BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) - We’ve all come across a deal online that seems too good to be true. But with scammers lurking on the internet, it’s more important than ever to know where your money and your personal information are really going.
Joe Ducey with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) says online shopping scams continue to be one of the most common and costly issues reported to the organization.
“Online shopping scams is one of the biggest scams we see with the Better Business Bureau and reporting to our scam tracker,” said Ducey.
The BBB receives around 81,000 scam complaints each year.
“And many of those complaints involve fake online sites that usually advertise through social media platforms,” Ducey said.
These fraudulent sites often promote enticing deals but lack essential details or offer limited contact information. Consumers are directed to unfamiliar websites where things quickly go wrong.
“So they get into these things and they either get, in many cases, no product, or they get some kind of faulty product for their money, and that’s been a big concern,” said Ducey.
One major red flag? If the seller requests payment via debit card or peer-to-peer apps instead of a credit card. Ducey warns that these methods offer little to no protection if something goes wrong.
“I think it’s important people know where they are going, don’t just click on a site, and when they see that, where they’re going, look it up, do your research, do your homework before hand, if you lose your money it’s going to be real tough to get it back,” he said.
If you do fall victim to an online shopping scam, Ducey advises contacting your bank.
“You don’t want these guys charging other things on your card or worse, your debit card, taking it directly out of your account,” he said.
To avoid falling into these traps, Ducey recommends sticking to familiar, trusted websites. Shoppers can also look up a retailer through the BBB to verify whether the business is accredited and legitimate.
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