FBI: Beware of Cyber Monday … and Beyond

At this time of year, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reminds consumers to be wary of Internet fraud during the holiday shopping season.

Here are a few of the scams to look out for:

• New products or gift cards being sold on auction or classified advertisement websites where the price is significantly lower than any sales price in retail outlets;
• “One day only” websites featuring the sale of specific items in high demand;
• Phishing and scam e-mails, text messages, or phone calls that look or sound like they’re coming from a well-known retailer and that ask you to verify a credit card number or to update personal account information; and
• Gift card offers on social media sites claiming to be from major retailers…often, these offers are used to gain access to your social media account and personal information.

In addition to more information on specific Internet scams, IC3’s latest warning also includes tips to help you avoid being a victim of cyber scams (#1 tip: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is).