BALTIMORE – While shopping for the holidays, Maryland State Police are warning people about online scams.
“This is a time of year where people are doing a lot of shopping, much of it online,” said Ron Snyder, Spokesperson for the Maryland State Police. “And we’re just concerned that people will fall victim to scams.”
According to the FBI, in 2021, scams where either the consumer never received items or the seller was never paid accounted for more than $330 million.
Credit card fraud accounted for another $170 million.
Officials say the holidays are the time to be extra cautious.
“Scammers are going to scam like this is actually the time that they really want to do it, so you have to be aware of their tactics and strategies,” said Dareise Jones.
Police recommend these steps to avoid becoming a victim:
- Never click any questionable links or attachments
- They say to only purchase items from reputable businesses
- Look for https in the web address to make sites are legitimate and secure
- Police say to never wire money directly to a seller
- To use a credit card rather than a pre-paid gift card and to check statements regularly
“It may be something as simple as you going out and buying something that never comes,” Snyder said….
