Shopping sparks scams this holiday season 

It’s been a week full of huge shopping days -Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.

If you didn’t get out and shop on these big days, don’t worry; there’s still plenty of time to do your holiday shopping. But at this time of the year consumers aren’t the only ones looking for a steal, scammers are out in full force - targeting your wallet.

On this week’s Saving Thousands! with Robert Palmer I talked about some steps you can take to keep your information and your bank account safe.

First let’s discuss online shopping. This is one of the most convenient ways to shop, plus it’s a great way to compare prices at hundreds of competing retailers (which can save you lots of money), but scammers have gotten smarter and can easily take advantage of you on the web.

So what can you do to protect yourself when shopping online?

1. Protect your computer – Make sure your computer is up-to-date on its security software.
2. Shop on trustworthy websites – Take the time to look at the URL. Scammers can build websites that look exactly like trustworthy sites, but they cannot replicate the URL.   
3. Protect personal information – Every website posts its privacy policy, so look at it and understand how the company will use your information.
4. Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals – If an offer looks too good to be true, take a little extra time to research the deal.
5. Phishing scams – These are emails that look like they are from a credible source such as PayPal but say something like “Your purchase cannot be completed, please enter your information into our website.” Instead of entering your information call the company; don’t call number in email, call the actual company.
6. Again make sure the website is secure – Look for the “https:” in the address bar to make sure there is an “s” on there, scammers cannot fake.
7. Check the website seal – These authenticity seals can be duplicated, so click on the seal to verify it takes you to the agency that authorized the seal’s website.
8. Keep documents on everything – Print out your receipts and keep them in a safe spot.
9. Check your credit card statement often – Remember, your credit card does not have to be physically stolen for someone to use it.
10. Use a credit card instead of a debit card when shopping online – When you use your debit card, that money automatically comes out of our account. If a scammer drains your account you might not get your money back for days. With a credit card you will have time to argue the charges before the bill is due.

Also don’t forget to say no to those Target, Walmart, Best Buy credit cards even if they save you a little bit of money on your purchase. These cards usually have higher annual fees and interest rates, which will cost you.
When you’re out there shopping do your homework and be an educated consumer. Practicing these tips all the time will save you money.

Tune in Sunday at 11 am on FM 96.5/AM 580 - WDBO and learn how to Save Thousands! Our new FM signal means people as far north as Palm Coast, as far south as Vero Beach and as far west as Dade City and Ocala are now tuning in and Saving Thousands!

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