Prepping on potential scams during holidays

Q: There are always holiday scams; do you have advice on what to watch for during the holidays?

A: The holidays are a happy time for food, family and friendship, but they also are a time for fraud. Consumers can fall into any number of traps over the holidays and become victim to identity thieves, hackers and deceptive merchants online. The Better Business Bureau is warning holiday shoppers and donors to look out for five common scams this season.

While the rest of us are pulling the decorations out of the attic, unfortunately scammers are blowing the dust off of their tried and true holiday scams. We all need to diligent in our research and help make these holiday scams a ghost of Christmas' past by not falling for them anymore.

BBB recommends being on the lookout for the following scams this holiday season:

Scam shopping sites online

We're all looking for a great deal online, but some sites offer electronics or luxury goods at prices that are too good to be true. Every holiday season BBB hears from holiday shoppers who paid for a supposedly great deal online, but received nothing in return.

BBB advice: Always look for the BBB seal when shopping online and click on the seal to confirm it is legitimate. When shopping on sites that aren't household names, check out the business with the BBB, www.bbb.org, before you buy.

Finding the season's hottest toys and gadgets online

Every year, holiday shoppers fight over the "must have" toy or gadget of the season. When the item is sold out in stores, you can often find it online through sites like Craigslist or eBay -- for a much steeper price. The problem is that some sellers will take your money and run.

BBB advice: Shop locally on Craigslist and conduct the transaction in person -- never wire money as payment. When purchasing items on auctions like eBay, research the seller extensively and always listen to your doubts if the deal does not sound legit.

Identity theft at the mall

While you are struggling at the mall with bags of presents, identity thieves see an opportunity to steal your wallet and debit or credit card numbers.

BBB advice: Do not let yourself get bogged down in purchases and lose track of your wallet. Know where your credit and debit cards are at all times and cover the keypad when entering your pin number while purchasing items or getting money from an ATM.

Bogus charitable pleas

The holidays are a time of giving, which creates a great opportunity for scammers to solicit donations to line their own pockets. Also beware of solicitations from charities that do not necessarily deliver on their promises or are ill-equipped to carry through on their plans.

BBB advice: Always research a charity with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, www.bbb.org/us/charity-reviews before you give to see if the charity meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability, www.bbb.org/us/standards-charity.

Phishing e-mails

Phishing e-mails are a common way for hackers to get at your personal information or break into your computer. Common phishing e-mails around the holidays include e-cards and messages pretending to be from companies like UPS or FedEx with links to package tracking information.

BBB advice: Do not click on any links or open any attachments to e-mails until you have confirmed that they are not malicious. E-mail addresses that do not match up, typos and grammatical mistakes are common red flags of a malicious phishing e-mail. Also beware of unsolicited e-mails from companies with which you have no association. Make sure you have current antivirus software and that all security patches have been installed on the computer.

For more advice on being a savvy consumer this holiday season, visit us online at www.bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-holiday/.

Get answers to your questions each Friday from Jim Winsett, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Inc., which serves Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. Submit questions to his attention by writing to Business Editor John Vass Jr., Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at jvass@timesfreepress.com.

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