TULSA, Okla. — It seems like heaven for some online shoppers.
Prime shopping days from Amazon are here, along with special sales events from many other retailers like Walmart and Kohl’s, just to name a few on a long list.
But it can seem like heaven for scammers too, who see those events as a huge payday.
As you surf the web, it’s almost impossible to miss all those special shopping opportunities, trying to lure folks in who want to catch some big money-saving deals.
Unfortunately, it’s a big opportunity for scammers too, who catch victims, hook line and sinker.
We recently heard from Teresa, who had received an email that her Prime membership had expired.
She clicked on a link, which led to her almost being conned.
“I was asked for my account number so I could pay for my membership. I was about to give them the information when I realized I had just renewed my membership a couple of months ago, and I hung up.”
Teresa’s one of the lucky ones.
Consumer experts say scams run rampant during big online shopping seasons.
“They’re trying to get you to reveal personal information when you’re the most susceptible,” Jennifer Jolly warns.
To protect yourself from similar scams,
Make sure the sites you’re shopping on are legit.
Look for grammatical errors or fake-looking pictures of the merchandise.
If a price seems too good to be true, it probably is a fake.
Remember, reviews aren’t always reliable.
Be suspicious of short, generalized comments, whether positive or negative, especially those that seem over the top complimentary.
And protect your packages, so they don’t get stolen by thieves.
Many online sites allow you to choose a delivery date, when you know you’ll be home.
Or you may have the option to have your items shipped to nearby brick-and-mortar locations that take such deliveries.
And don’t fall for fake delivery messages you may receive, saying there’s a problem with your shipment.
So experts say in general, when you receive emails or texts out of the blue, don’t respond, or click on any links or attachments.
And never call a number you receive in those messages.
If you need to get a hold of a company, look up its official phone number, and call that way.
Contact the Problem Solvers:
- 918-748-1502
- problemsolvers@kjrh.com
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