CLEVELAND (WJW)– The FBI is warning about scams this holiday shopping season.
The FBI said non-delivery, where the victim pays for an item they never receive, and non-payment, where the victim provides a service or product but never gets money in return, are the most common scams.
If you believe you’re the victim of a scam, contact your bank or credit union, and your local police department. You can also file a complain with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The FBI offers the following tips:
- Secure all financial accounts with strong passwords or passphrases. The FBI recommends using different passwords for each financial account, as well as multifactor authentication, whenever available.
- Buy directly from secure and reputable websites. Steer clear of unfamiliar sites, especially if they’re offering unrealistic discounts on brand-name merchandise.
- As usual, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- Before making a purchase, verify the legitimacy of buyers or sellers. If you’re using an online marketplace or auction website, check those feedback ratings. Be wary of any buyers and sellers with lots of unfavorable ratings or no ratings at all.
- Credit cards…