In 2021 shoppers spent nearly $20 billion online between Black Friday and Cyber Monday making it prime time for internet scammers to attack. Ariana Bago, a fraud analyst at proxy provider Proxyrack, provided CNBC Make It advice for avoiding the most common scams of the weekend.
- Watch out for suspicious links. Don’t click on any link until you are absolutely sure it’s legitimate. If you are unsure, look for a phone number and contact the company directly to request more information.
- Beware of browser extensions. If you want to install a browser extension to unlock deals, research it on a reviews website like TrustPilot first.
- Look for billing scams. These could be in the form of urgent messages stating your order didn’t go through or you must update your payment information. Legitimate companies rarely use urgency language and if you are unsure contact the company directly.
- Stay off of unfamiliar websites. Double check the URL before entering personal and payment information. If you are unsure check the companies’ legitimacy on a reviews website like TrustPilot.
- Verification code requests can be scams. Only enter verification codes in to a login page that you know and trust. Remember that banks and retailers will never call and ask you for a verification code.
While shopping online this weekend, stay alert and avoid being scammed out of your hard earned money!