Don't let a scammer ruin your holiday
FBI issues consumer alert to be careful with Internet purchases
By PAULA BARR
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Updated: Monday, December 7, 2009 10:39 AM CST
Updated: Monday, December 7, 2009 10:39 AM CST
It’s the Christmas season and you’d “Better watch out!” because scammers are coming to town through your Internet connection.
The Internet offers a way to shop for Christmas presents from the comfort of your home, and most of the time the sites and deals are legitimate.
However, holiday shopping presents another opportunity for scammers to try to get some of your money.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued an alert to consumers on Dec. 1 as a reminder to be careful when they deal with Internet purchases.
As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“If you’re shopping online, make sure the Web site is secure and it’s not a cloned Web site,” said Supervisory Special Agent Leslie Hoppey, acting unit chief of the Internet Crime Complaint Center. “If you want to deal with a business, go directly to their official Web site.”
According to the FBI, IC3 received more than 275,000 complaints and reported losses of $265 million last year. The most common complaints were non-delivered merchandise or payment (32 percent) and auction fraud (25 percent).
“Cyber criminals continue to aggressively create new ways to steal money and personal information,” the alert states.
IC3 gets approximately 30,000 complaints each month through its Web site, http://www.ic3.gov.
Puppies and tractors
Among the scams being used on the Internet are bogus online classified ads. In these scams, criminals offer to sell products online that they do not have. The ads usually have a phone number and an e-mail address to contact if you are interested in the product.
In recent weeks, the Daily Journal has received - and refused to run - several of these types of scams. One person wanted to sell a 2005 Airstream International travel trailer for $4,600. Another offered a 2006 John Deere 5425 tractor for $4,400. Another wanted to sell a 2007 Harley-Davidson Fatboy for $4,600.
The problem was, their stories did not check out. Instead, they were an attempt to obtain money for a product that would never be delivered.
Quite common are the “puppies for sale.” Typically, the advertiser claims to have Yorkshire terriers or English bulldogs for sale. A caller said he had seen a terrier ad in the St. Louis Post Dispatch that turned out to be a scam. The Daily Journal receives about one of these puppy scams per week. A couple have appeared at first to be legitimate but were pulled from the classified after closer review. Others were obvious scams.
The puppy scams sometimes include an additional way to take your money. Victims not only pay for the puppy that they never receive, but also are charged additional money for delivery.
If you want to buy something over the Internet in a private sale, it would be wise to first see the item and the seller in person. If the breeder is a reputable dog breeder, you should be able to go to the kennel, see the available pups, make your choice and receive copies of any pertinent papers.
Animal shelters offer opportunities to get puppies and dogs at reasonable prices without worrying that you will never receive your purchase.
Phony money
Another version of Internet scams involves the scammer buying your merchandise with a phony credit card or check. These cards might have legitimate numbers that belong to someone else, or are completely made up.
Sometimes, criminals offer to pay for delivery of the item they purchase and send you “paid” shipping labels to use. The labels, however, are not real.
If you want to give someone a gift card, be wary of buying them through online classified advertisements or auctions, as scammers take your money and send you worthless cards - if you get a card back at all. Buy gift cards directly from a merchant or authorized retailer.
Always be cautious when buying something over the Internet, and always think twice - at least - before buying something from an unknown source. Never provide financial information directly to sellers, instead, use a legitimate payment service. Check each seller’s feedback ratings and proven track record.
Hoppey recommends that Internet users have the latest version of security software installed on their computers and make sure online transactions are secure. If something looks suspicious, hit the delete button.
The Daily Journal has made a commitment to keep readers abreast of scams that hit our area. If someone tries to make you the victim of a scam, call us at 431-2010 and tell us what happened. We will include your story in our scam alert series to prepare others who may find themselves in the same situation. The Daily Journal will run Scam Alert stories in the paper every Monday.
The Internet offers a way to shop for Christmas presents from the comfort of your home, and most of the time the sites and deals are legitimate.
However, holiday shopping presents another opportunity for scammers to try to get some of your money.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued an alert to consumers on Dec. 1 as a reminder to be careful when they deal with Internet purchases.
As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“If you’re shopping online, make sure the Web site is secure and it’s not a cloned Web site,” said Supervisory Special Agent Leslie Hoppey, acting unit chief of the Internet Crime Complaint Center. “If you want to deal with a business, go directly to their official Web site.”
According to the FBI, IC3 received more than 275,000 complaints and reported losses of $265 million last year. The most common complaints were non-delivered merchandise or payment (32 percent) and auction fraud (25 percent).
“Cyber criminals continue to aggressively create new ways to steal money and personal information,” the alert states.
IC3 gets approximately 30,000 complaints each month through its Web site, http://www.ic3.gov.
Puppies and tractors
Among the scams being used on the Internet are bogus online classified ads. In these scams, criminals offer to sell products online that they do not have. The ads usually have a phone number and an e-mail address to contact if you are interested in the product.
In recent weeks, the Daily Journal has received - and refused to run - several of these types of scams. One person wanted to sell a 2005 Airstream International travel trailer for $4,600. Another offered a 2006 John Deere 5425 tractor for $4,400. Another wanted to sell a 2007 Harley-Davidson Fatboy for $4,600.
The problem was, their stories did not check out. Instead, they were an attempt to obtain money for a product that would never be delivered.
Quite common are the “puppies for sale.” Typically, the advertiser claims to have Yorkshire terriers or English bulldogs for sale. A caller said he had seen a terrier ad in the St. Louis Post Dispatch that turned out to be a scam. The Daily Journal receives about one of these puppy scams per week. A couple have appeared at first to be legitimate but were pulled from the classified after closer review. Others were obvious scams.
The puppy scams sometimes include an additional way to take your money. Victims not only pay for the puppy that they never receive, but also are charged additional money for delivery.
If you want to buy something over the Internet in a private sale, it would be wise to first see the item and the seller in person. If the breeder is a reputable dog breeder, you should be able to go to the kennel, see the available pups, make your choice and receive copies of any pertinent papers.
Animal shelters offer opportunities to get puppies and dogs at reasonable prices without worrying that you will never receive your purchase.
Phony money
Another version of Internet scams involves the scammer buying your merchandise with a phony credit card or check. These cards might have legitimate numbers that belong to someone else, or are completely made up.
Sometimes, criminals offer to pay for delivery of the item they purchase and send you “paid” shipping labels to use. The labels, however, are not real.
If you want to give someone a gift card, be wary of buying them through online classified advertisements or auctions, as scammers take your money and send you worthless cards - if you get a card back at all. Buy gift cards directly from a merchant or authorized retailer.
Always be cautious when buying something over the Internet, and always think twice - at least - before buying something from an unknown source. Never provide financial information directly to sellers, instead, use a legitimate payment service. Check each seller’s feedback ratings and proven track record.
Hoppey recommends that Internet users have the latest version of security software installed on their computers and make sure online transactions are secure. If something looks suspicious, hit the delete button.
The Daily Journal has made a commitment to keep readers abreast of scams that hit our area. If someone tries to make you the victim of a scam, call us at 431-2010 and tell us what happened. We will include your story in our scam alert series to prepare others who may find themselves in the same situation. The Daily Journal will run Scam Alert stories in the paper every Monday.
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