Watch out for sales scams promoted on social media

Watch out for sales scams promoted on social media
                        

Everyone loves a good sale. The only problem is so do scammers. Recently scammers have been targeting consumers on social media with misleading ads for sales that claim to offer deeply discounted name-brand products.

You are scrolling through your social media feed when you come across an advertisement that offers name brand shoes, clothes or electronics for a great price. One recent ad promoted discounts of up to 95 percent off.

If you click on the ad or type in the promoted URL, it will lead you to a website where you can “shop the deals.” But unfortunately many scammers never intend to send you anything at all. They simply steal your credit card information when you are prompted to pay. Other scammers do mail you a product, but it’s a cheap counterfeit version. In other versions the phony sites can download malware onto your computer and give scammers access to your personal information, password history and more.

Know where you shop. Be wary of purchasing items online from retailers you are not familiar with. Even if you think you are on the website of a reputable company, double check the web address before you make a purchase to be sure scammers haven’t redirected you to an imitation site.

Beware off-brand URLs. Scammers often register domain names that are similar to popular sites or contain the name of a well-known brand. Real sales are almost always advertised on a company’s main website, so be wary if you can’t find that “great deal” you saw advertised elsewhere.

Look for a secure connection and a privacy policy. Before you enter your personal information in any website, check for a secure connection. To do this, make sure the URL begins with “https://” and includes a lock icon on the purchase page. The lack of a privacy policy also is a red flag.

Use your credit card. Paying with a credit card gives you the advantage of being able to dispute fraudulent charges. This is the safest payment method for purchasing items online.

To learn more about HTTPs, visit www.BBB.org/BBBsecure. For ways to protect yourself from scammers when shopping online, read www.BBB.org/ShoppingOnline.

To learn about other kinds of scams, go to www.BBB.org/ScamTips. If you have been the victim of this or another scam, make others aware by filing a report on www.BBB.org/ScamTracker.

Visit www.bbb.org/canton or call 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips, follow on social media and more.


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