Valentine’s Day is this Friday, and some people may be looking for some last-minute gifts for their special someone.
However, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) says sometimes that last minute shopping could add pressure and cloud your judgment. And that’s where you need to be careful.
Timothy Johnston with the BBB says, “If you are looking for flowers in a pinch and want to get something sent, make sure you are buying from a reputable florist. If you just go online and search for florists, we hear reports following Valentine’s Day is the flowers didn’t arrive, or it wasn’t the arrangement you thought you had paid for.”
While scammers are targeting all age groups, Johnston says he notices the younger generation tends to fall victim when buying products online.
“So, for example; if you bought something online, find out if they have a satisfaction guarantee or some type of return policy. If there’s nothing there, steer clear – that’s a red flag. And also, do they have customer contact information? Reach out and see if you can actually get through to somebody.”
Other scams can be sent to you through texts, emails, phone calls, and even dating websites. Johnston says if you connect with someone on a dating site and they make excuses to avoid meeting you and ask for money, report them immediately.
Sometime scammers will take their time gaining your trust.
Johnston says one woman got scammed after speaking to someone for 30 days. “She tells the scammer, ‘Hey, you know what I just lost my job today,’ and the scammer comes back and says, ‘You know what, I really want us to have a secure future together. I’ve been doing great in investing in crypto currency; I can help you and that would be good in our future.’ So, what we know is over some period of time she put a stop to things and lost $80,000.”
Regardless of Valentine’s Day, Johnston says dating scams happen all the time all year long; so be careful and never send money or personal information to a company you’re not familiar with or to someone you don’t know.