Shopping: Avoiding holiday con games

“’Tis the season for scams,” said Jeff Rossen, Avni Patel,and Jovanna Billington in NBCNews.com. If you’re getting ready to brave the holiday season shopping crowds, be on your guard. “Consumer groups say scammers are ready and waiting to exploit the chaos.” One con artist favorite is the gift card scam. The thieves go into stores and surreptitiously copy down card numbers, wait for the cards to be activated, and then use them to go on online shopping sprees. “By the time you try to use the same card, the money is long gone.” That’s why you should only buy gift cards that are kept behind a counter, and certainly never buy one online. Beyond that, if you’re expecting a home delivery, make sure you make secure arrangements for your packages. Some thieves follow delivery trucks into neighborhoods, swooping in and “swiping packages right off the doorstep.” If there’s nobody home during the day to take delivery, have your packages held at a nearby service location so you can pick it up in person.

It’s especially important to stay savvy online, said Joseph Steinberg in Forbes.com. Those greeting cards sent by seemingly well-intentioned retailers might in fact contain malware that can purloin your data and lead to big expenses. If you’re scouring the Web for a deal, vet the retailer. Some criminals set up stores offering customers phones, for instance, at very attractive prices. They’re likely to be cons: Remember that “if a price is too good to be true, it probably is.” Verify the store by looking for a brick-and-mortar location or a customer service number. And be careful what you click on. Links and emails might be phishing scams in disguise, designed to steal your credit card information and other personal details.

It pays to be suspicious, said Stuart Pfeifer in the Los Angeles Times. You should never provide your credit card or other information on any page without an “https://” instead of merely “http://” in the URL. And “avoid using public Wi-Fi hot spots for online shopping or other financial transactions.” If you’re looking for deals on auction sites, “beware of postauction offers,” such as sellers who want to offer you the merchandise privately. And “be mindful of charity scams.” Never give cash, and vet the charity carefully. When in doubt, double-check the charity with the Better Business Bureau or Charity Navigator, which rates charities’ worthiness. The holiday season invites us to give to good causes, not to scam artists.

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