Scammers of every ilk are busy at any time eager to fleece unsuspecting people of hard-earned money, but people may be especially vulnerable during the holiday season when they are extra busy and stressed.

The website for the FBI (fbi.org) is a good resource for tips and advice to help anyone from becoming a victim. The following information is from fbi.org holiday scams.

When shopping online during the holiday season — or any time of year — always be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. Don’t become a scammer’s next victim.

Every year, thousands of people become victims of holiday scams. Scammers can rob people of hard-earned money, personal information and, at the very least, a festive mood.

Scams include:

*Non-delivery scams, where goods or services found online are paid for, but the items are never received.

*Non-payment scams, where one ships purchased goods or services, but payment is never received for the goods.

*Auction fraud, where a product that was purchased was misrepresented on an auction site.

*Gift card fraud, where a seller asks for payment with a pre-paid card.

According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) 2022 report, non-payment and non-delivery scams cost people more than $281 million that year. Credit card fraud accounted for another $264 million in losses.

The IC3 receives a large volume of complaints in the early months of each year, suggesting a correlation with the previous holiday season’s shopping scams.

Tips to Avoid Holiday Scams

Whether the buyer or the seller, there are a number of ways a person can protect themselves—and their wallet.

Practice good cybersecurity hygiene.

*Don’t click any suspicious links or attachments in emails, on websites, or on social media. Phishing scams and similar crimes get victims to click on links and give up personal information like their name, password, and bank account number. In some cases, the victim may unknowingly download malware to their device.

*Be especially wary if a company asks for an update of passwords or account information. Look up the company’s phone number separately and call.

Know the seller or the buyer

*Check each website’s URL to make sure it’s legitimate and secure. A site should have https in the web address. If it doesn’t, don’t enter personal information on that site. 

*When purchasing from a company for the first time, do research and check reviews.

*Verify the legitimacy of a buyer or seller before moving forward with a purchase. If using an online marketplace or auction website, check their feedback rating. Be wary of buyers and sellers with mostly unfavorable feedback ratings or no ratings at all.

*Avoid sellers who act as authorized dealers or factory representatives of popular items in countries where there would be no such deals.

*Be wary of sellers who post an auction or advertisement as if they reside in the U.S. but then respond to questions by stating they are out of the country on business, family emergency or similar reasons.

*Avoid buyers who request their purchase be shipped using a certain method to avoid customs or taxes inside another country.

Be careful making payment

*Never wire money directly to a seller.

*Avoid paying for items with pre-paid gift cards. In these scams, a seller will ask the victim to send them a gift card number and PIN. Instead of using that gift card for payment, the scammer will steal the funds, and the item will never be received.

*Use a credit card when shopping online and check the statement regularly. If suspicious transactions are seen the credit card company should be contacted to dispute the charge.

Monitor the shipping process.

*Always get tracking numbers for items purchased online, so shipping can be verified and the delivery process followed. The holidays are also a time to be especially wary of theft of delivered goods from the front porch.

*Be suspect of any credit card purchases where the address of the cardholder does not match the shipping address when selling. Always receive the cardholder’s authorization before shipping any products.

And remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.