MEMPHIS, Tenn. — While it may be the season of giving, it is also a busy time for scammers.
According to the FBI, Americans lost more than 200 million in non-payment and non-delivery scams last year. Overall, the FTC said scams cost people close to $8.8 billion.
Leading up to Christmas, the National Retail Federation said around 31 million people will exclusively be shopping online this Saturday, also known as Super Saturday.
Online shopping has been a staple for people this holiday season like Carrie Ann Farmer.
“With three small kids, most of it is online. Things like Amazon and things that will come in quickly,” said Farmer.
For a lot of people, packages are on the way, but so are people trying to take advantage of shoppers.
“This is a time that we see an uptick in scams and scam reports,” said Daniel Irwin with the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South. “We do let our guard down. There's a lot of stress that comes with the holidays. We’re trying to do a lot of last-minute things.”
This includes scams like fake websites, misleading ads on social media and even fake charities.
“If you see something that you want to buy, make sure you go to that website directly and don’t click a link on Facebook or social media. You might get sideways,” said Irwin.
A popular scam several Americans have seen over the past year have been texts claiming there were issues with shipping the gifts people ordered.
“It will want you to click a link. Just know that unless you’ve signed up for those notifications, you’re not going to get them. Most of them aren’t legitimate,” said Irwin.
It is important to trust your gut. Irwin advises if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. However, if you think you got a scam on your hand, the BBB Scam Tracker will be the best tool for you.
“You can report scam and scam attempts, but you can also check things out to see if anyone nationwide has reported it,” said Irwin.
The BBB also recommends keeping an eye out for free holiday-themed apps like Santa Trackers. The ads on those free apps could contain malware, so the best thing to do is read the reviews and go over the privacy policy to see what information is being shared.