AARP tips on how to avoid online shopping scams this holiday season

AARP Virginia says, “The holiday deals have already begun, but not all those great deals you see online are legit. The start of the online holiday shopping season means that online scams intensify with it.Here are the two simple steps you can take to stay a step ahead of the online Grinch this holiday shopping season.”

Type – don’t click. The safest place to shop online is with retailers you trust by using their app or typing their web address into your browser rather than clicking on a link from a text, email, or online ad. Also, know that any unbelievable deal a social media friend messages you about is truly not to be believed. Fraud criminals are experts at hacking social media accounts and one of the first things they do is send out fake offers to a victim’s friends and family.

Be a fraud fighter!  If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at http://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.