American consumers lost an average of over $1,500 in holiday shopping scams in 2022, per All About Cookies research. According to a Norton survey, half of all U.S. adults targeted during a holiday scam fell victim to it.
So how can shoppers keep their money safe from scams this holiday season? “Stay safe during this holiday season by remaining vigilant, watching out for ‘urgent’ emails, and taking a second to stop and think, ‘Is this legit?” said Truman Kain, a senior product researcher at cybersecurity platform Huntress.
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GOBanking Rates talked to Kain and other experts to uncover five of the best ways to avoid holiday shopping scams this year.
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Shop With Trusted Retailers
Online shopping scams are a risk as more holiday shoppers rely on purchasing gifts online. Therefore, it’s important that you shop with trusted retailers.
“In fact, a recent Better Business Bureau (BBB) Institute Online Scams Report noted that 82% of those targeted in online shopping scams reported losing money, stressing the importance of being careful and aware,” said Michael Bruemmer, vice president of Experian Global Data Breach Resolution and Consumer Protection.
If you’re unsure whether a retailer is legitimate, search their name along with terms like “scam,” “complaints” or “reviews” to uncover any red flags or stick with the retailers you know, said Darius Kingsley, head of consumer business practices at JPMorgan Chase.
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Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi
Experts said that consumers should also avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi.
“While it may be tempting to make a purchase while on the go, criminals may be able to access personal information transmitted through the network by taking advantage of unsecured Wi-Fi,” Bruemmer said. “It’s best to wait and shop on a secure network.”
Kain said using public Wi-Fi can lead to receiving pop-ups on websites you visit or scammers posing as employees of your bank, a retailer you’ve shopped with or even your computer manufacturer.
Verify Website URLs
Make sure you verify website URLs before browsing or buying.
“Scammers create fake websites that look like legitimate retailers,” Kingsley said. “Ensure the URL starts with https:// — the ‘s’ stands for secure — and avoid clicking on links from unsolicited emails or texts.”
The same goes for charity websites. Charity phishing scams are popular during the holidays because attackers want to take advantage of people likely being in a giving mood.
“If you receive an email claiming to be from a charity that you wish to donate to, unless you have solicited the email and can confirm that it is coming from a verified domain, do not click any links,” Kain said. “Instead, navigate directly to the official, verified website of the charity.”
Don’t Get ‘Brushed’
The difficulty most people have in keeping up with the number of packages they order during the holiday season has given rise to brushing scams. It happens when you receive a package addressed to you containing an inexpensive item you didn’t order. Scammers do this to create fake reviews from a profile using your real information to boost their product’s popularity, Kain said.
“Additionally, stickers or labels with a QR code may be present on or in the packaging, with the attackers hoping to prey on your curiosity,” Kain said. “When scanned, the QR code leads to a website that attempts to collect your personal information and/or credentials.”
Kain advised never scanning a QR code that is not from a trusted source and reporting any unsolicited packages to the sender or retailer they came from.
Be Tech-Savvy
Use technology to your advantage to avoid holiday scams. For example, a password manager creates unique and complex passwords for your online shopping accounts and auto-fills your credentials so you don’t have to remember anything other than your master password.
Alexander Hall, trust and safety architect at Sift, said two-factor authentication uses a numeric code sent as a text, email or notification on an authenticator app when you or someone else logs in to your account from a new device.
Payment services like Apple Pay and Google Pay offer an added layer of security by keeping your financial details private when making purchases.
You can also utilize identity monitoring technology to ensure your information is kept safe. For example, Kingsley said Chase Credit Journey offers free credit and identity monitoring, including alerts to let you know if your data is exposed to a data breach or is on the dark web.
Keeping your information safe is crucial, especially when doing your holiday shopping. Following these expert tips should help so that you can have a happy holiday and not worry about scammers.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Best Ways To Avoid 2024’s Holiday Shopping Scams