EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation Philadelphia reminds the public of holiday scams.
According to the FBI Philadelphia, they are reminding the public that "If a deal you find this holiday season seems a little too good to be true, it probably is."
"Online scams these days are becoming more sophisticated and creative, but all have the same end goal to separate you from your information or money. We encourage our communities to remain vigilant when navigating cyberspace this holiday season, and to report any suspect holiday scheme or fraud to the FBI through ic3.gov,” stated Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia.
As stated in the release, in 2023 Pennsylvania residents filed over 1,600 complaints, of non-delivery/nonpayment scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), seeing almost $9 million in reported losses
New Jersey residents filed over 1,200 complaints of nonpayment/non-delivery scams to IC3, totaling about $5.8 million in reported losses, the release continued.
Energy experts share energy saving tips
The most common holiday scams:
Non-delivery scams, where you, as a buyer, pay for goods or services you find online, but you never receive your items.
Non-payment scams, where you, as a seller, ship purchased goods or services, but you never receive payment for them.
Gift card fraud, where a seller asks you to pay with a pre-paid card.
The FBI Philadelphia gives some tips to protect yourself from holiday scammers.
Practice Good Cyber Hygiene:
Use strong, unique, and complex passwords or phrases for each individual account; do not reuse passwords across multiple accounts.
Beware of phishing attempts. Do not click on any suspicious links or attachments in emails, texts, websites, or social media.
Know Who You Are Buying from or Selling To:
Verify the legitimacy of a buyer or seller in advance of selling or purchasing.
If purchasing from a company for the first time, do your research and look for any reviews.
Check the website or URL when shopping to ensure it is legitimate and secure.
Be vigilant when purchasing through a third-party vendor or seller.
Be Careful How You Pay:
Never wire money directly to a seller.
Use a credit card when shopping online and regularly monitor bank statements to confirm all purchases are your own.
Monitor the Shipping Process:
Always get tracking numbers for items you have purchased online.
If you believe you are a victim of a holiday shopping scam or a related fraud, you can report it to IC3 online.
