EXPERTS have warned about online shopping scams that can drain your bank account.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has urged shoppers to be careful when purchasing items online.
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“In 2022, online shopping scams were the second-most reported type of scam to the FTC,” the government agency said.
HOW DOES THIS SCAM WORK?
Typically, online shopping scams involve scammers pretending to be legitimate online sellers.
This can look like a fake website or a fake advertisement on a genuine retailer site.
In some cases, they can get disseminated via phishing emails, social media, or SMS messages.
This can cause problems for you if you spent money on something and it never arrived, or if you find fraudulent charges on your card.
Thankfully, the FTC shared some tips on how you can stay safe.
HOW TO STAY SAFE
The first thing the government agency suggests is telling people to Google the website with words like “review,” “complaint,” and “scam.”
They also advised that shoppers check refund and return policies.
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“Sellers often have a different (and stricter) refund and return policies for sale items, and dishonest sellers will use tricky disclosures and fine print to deny refund requests,” the FTC noted.
It’s also imperative that users use a credit card for online purchases, if possible.
“Credit cards offer the most protection against fraud compared to other types of payments,” the FTC said.
This includes the right to dispute charges if there are problems with your purchase.
Last, it’s important for online shoppers to always save their receipts and confirmation emails.
“If something goes wrong, these can help you get your money back from the seller or file a dispute with your credit card company,” the FTC said.
