GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – This month, major retailers are offering hot deals for shoppers to take advantage of while trying to stay cool. Now, many of the advertisements are right on social media, tempting scrollers to click and shop right away.
BBB is seeing a rise in online purchase scams in the Western Michigan area, particularly from social media ads. Online Purchase scams are the riskiest scam type for the third year in a row, according to BBB’s annual risk report.
People living in West Michigan have reported more than $62,000 in losses to online purchase scams in 2023 so far, according to the BBB Scam Tracker.
Scammers create flashy advertisements offering too-good-to-be-true deals on hot ticket items. Consumers click on the ad, believing they are being led to a familiar website, only to find out after payment that the site was an imposter, and scammers now have their payment information.
“Scammers will pose as well-known retailers, tricking shoppers into shopping on a fake website, instead of the real one,” warns Lisa Frohnapfel, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan. “Consumers should avoid clicking on any links sent by email, text or on social media, and make sure they are on the right website before giving out payment information or passwords.”
Tips to shop safely online:
- Only shop on sites you know and trust. Scammers sometimes use social media to advertise too-good-to-be-true deals through familiar sounding companies. Make sure you trust the company and know who they are before making a purchase. You can look up retailers at BBB.org. Scammers often create similar looking websites with similar sounding names to real retailers.
- Don’t click on links sent via email, text message, or advertised on social media. Instead, visit the website by typing it into your browser yourself. Scammers will send messages advertising deals, requesting you to update payment information or offer fake shipping tracking with a link. Those links could lead you to fraudulent sites or download malware on your computer. They are designed to gather your personal sensitive information like credit card numbers and passwords.
- Beware of unsecure or fake websites. Make sure you are on a secure page, which will have https in the browser (the extra “s” is for “secure”), and a lock symbol. This does not mean a page is legitimate, but adds an extra layer of protection to your sensitive information like login and payment. You should always make sure you are on the right website, with no extra characters listed before the dot-com.
- Watch for typos or grammatical errors. If you see any of these, it is a scam. Do not click on any links or share any information.
- Pay with a credit card. BBB recommends using a credit card when making online purchases. If any fraudulent charges appear, it is easier to contest the charges through your credit card company. Any retailer that asks for payments such as prepaid cards or another non-traditional form of payment, has a high chance of being a scam.
File a report with the BBB Scam Tracker.
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