The Federal Bureau of Investigations San Diego Division has compiled a list of scams often perpetrated in the busy shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to help raise consumer awareness and prevent the loss of money, time and identity.

Classified Ads and Auction Sales

The FBI warns shoppers to always check the seller’s rating when on sites like eBay. Low ratings are clearly bad, but sellers with near perfect ratings and a low number of raters are usually less reliable.

They also warn shoppers to never give out personal financial information such as credit card numbers, but to instead use an approved third-party service such as PayPal.

Gift Cards

Some services sell gift cards at a discounted rate to the value of the card. The FBI warns that in some instances these cards have been obtained fraudulently and that the merchant will not be able to redeem the card.

Phishing and Social Networking

Cyber Monday has become increasingly popular in recent years as the online shopping counterpart to Black Friday with many companies offering a plethora of one-day bargains. However, the FBI warns that many scammers try to sneak in fraudulent emails and social media posts offering amazing short-term bargains attempting to entice shoppers into making a quick buy. Never buy anything from an unrecognized website.

Basic Tips

Here are basic tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud from the FBI:

  • Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
  • Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
  • Be cautious of e-mails claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Always run a virus scan on attachment before opening.
  • Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
  • Always compare the link in the e-mail to the web address link you are directed to and determine if they match.
  • Log on directly to the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
  • Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify that the e-mail is genuine.
  • If you are requested to act quickly or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act impulsively.
  • If you receive a request for personal information from a business or financial institution, always look up the main contact information for the requesting company on an independent source (phone book, trusted Internet directory, legitimate billing statement, etc.) and use that contact information to verify the legitimacy of the request.
  • Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

More information is available about on-line scams at the FBI’s website.

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