Tips To help Seniors Avoid Online Holiday Scams

The holiday season is upon us, and shopping for the best deals has begun, with more and more people turning to the internet to do their shopping online. It’s easier, it’s quicker, you can have things shipped straight to the intended location, and finding the best deals is at the tip of your fingers.

Among the 186.4 million people shopping online in 2020, (according to the National Retail Federation), a large portion of those shoppers were seniors, 60 years and older. They are also the most affected group of people who were scammed by internet fraud. In fact, a report by the FBI Crime Complaint Center reported that there were losses of over $950 million by people in that age group.

It’s no wonder so many get scammed…the holidays are the time of year when shopping scams seem to be coming out of the woodwork. There are…

• amazing deals too good to be true
• fake online stores
• pop up ads with “perfect gifts” on social media

Nevertheless, doing your holiday shopping online doesn’t have to be a bad experience, it can be as easy and convenient as you hope it will be. The key is to be aware of the most common scams that can affect senior shoppers over 60.

Common Online Shopping Scams…

By knowing what’s going on when you’re online, you can avoid the traps that are waiting for you…knowledge is power!

1. You’re a winner! – These scams usually start with an email, or a notification on social media that you’re a winner. If you don’t remember entering that lottery, contest, or sweepstakes, you probably didn’t! In order to claim the fabulous prize they’re offering, all you have to do is to pay small fees, taxes, or shipping costs, and the prize is all yours. Sadly, along with the fact that the prize never comes, that’s how they get you to provide them with your banking or credit card information.
2. It’s an amazing deal…too good to be true! – It’s so amazing, even Santa can’t believe it! You’ve heard it before, but, “If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is!” Too many unsuspecting victims have ordered these products or services only to be left with a charge on their card, but nothing to show for it…they’ve ordered from a fake store or company. If you come across one of these great deals online, take a few minutes and check with the Better Business Bureau to see if the seller is reputable. And if by chance you do get caught in one of these schemes, you can report the scam, and help out some other unsuspecting shopper.
3.  Your computer is infected! – One of the biggest scams on the internet happens when you go to an unknown website, and all of a sudden you get a message that your computer has been infected with a virus, and the only way you can fix it is to call a phone number listed on the screen, and connect with a technician who can fix your computer, for a price. Don’t call that number. What they really want is to charge your credit card and log onto your computer to gain access to your personal information. You can protect yourself from these types of scams by having good anti-virus and malware protection on your computer, and only deal with people you know and trust.
4. Please donate – People make a lot of charitable donations during the holidays, which opens the door to fake charities and phony good causes. Holiday giving brings out the con artists who will tug at your heart strings and get you to donate to their cause. Many will get you to give to a GoFundMe campaign, (which is normally a good thing), or use some other way to get you to send them money or your personal information. Know who you’re donating to before contributing.

A word of caution….Be careful how you pay. – Not all online shopping or gift giving is fraudulent, there are a lot of very honest and good places you can feel comfortable shopping at. But whenever you pay, avoid wiring money to the seller, don’t use pre-paid gift cards as payment, and don’t use a debit card, use a credit card. Debit cards are just like cash, and once it’s gone you may never get it back. But with a credit card if something turns out to be a scam, you can call your credit card company to dispute the charge.

We are Certified Senior Move Managers recognized by our National Association of Senior Move Managers, NASMM! We are committed to serving our seniors with a high standard of ethics, best business practices and continuing education to help make whatever transition they are going through a Smooth Transition.

Contact us to learn how we can help you and/or your family with senior downsizing and moving anywhere in the Phoenix East Valley area, additionally we can assist if you are moving out of state.

We offer a Free consultation.

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