Bogus online sales have contributed to an uptick in fraud. Consumer Reports has tips to help you avoid being scammed by deals that seem too good to be true.
Was the Grinch behind that ad for trendy holiday gifts that turned out too good to be true? In Bill Sipp's case –it was an ad for lawn mower equipment. He needed two hard-to-find belt parts for his old Snapper mowers.
"So, I found this place that said they did have them in stock," said Sipp.
Eureka! Sold. After waiting a few days, his order was still pending.
"I tried calling them. The phone number is no good," he said.
He called his credit card company and was able to reverse the overseas charge.
"It's embarrassing because once I realize what I've done, it's like, you idiot."
But he's not the only one with click remorse. According to a recent study by the Better Business Bureau … bogus online sales contributed to a 125% uptick in fraud reports. Scammers are ready to pounce on unsuspecting holiday scrollers.
"Any item that's sold out everywhere else. If you see it randomly on a website you've never heard of, there's a good chance it could be fraudulent," said Melanie McGovern, Better Business Bureau
Online shoppers might not even realize they're buying from a third-party vendor and not directly from a reputable shopping website. Not only does this open the door for fraudulent transactions, but also faulty products.
" Unsafe products like pajamas that violate federal flammability standards and carbon monoxide detectors that don't work have been sold by third-party sellers. Our laws simply haven't kept up with the emergence of online marketplaces, and, as a result, they aren't providing legal and financial incentives for companies to keep consumers safe. That needs to change," said Oriene Shin, Consumer Reports
Before you click 'buy' … do your homework.
"If it's a business you've never heard of, search it on Better Business Bureau or elsewhere. If it's a retailer you're unfamiliar with, type in the name of the retailer with the word scam or review to see what other people are saying," said McGovern.
As for Bill, he eventually found what he needed from a credible website.
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