Attorney General Cautions Residents to Beware of Holiday Shopping Scams

With the holiday shopping season getting into full swing, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is urging residents to be on the lookout for scams and deceptive advertising online and in stores.

“Thanksgiving reminds us how much we have to be thankful for, but the holiday season also brings deceptive advertising and online scams,” Shapiro said. “These kinds of scams get more sophisticated every year.”

Shapiro said some of the scams to beware of include:

– The bait-and-switch: A retailer may advertise a product at a low price, but at the store the price is higher or the product isn’t there at all. Shapiro said consumers should take retailers’ advertisements with them to the store.

– Skimming Devices:  Shapiro said police were called during the holidays last year to remove a skimming device from a store’s register in the King of Prussia Mall. The devices also are sometimes placed on gas pumps or ATMs to capture data from magnetic strips on credit and debit cards. If something looks out of place or easily wiggles, use a different ATM, gas pump or register.

“We’ve seen consumers lose between $75 and $2,000 on skimming devices,” Shapiro said. “The best defense against scammers using these illegal devices is to closely monitor your credit card statements and bank accounts. If you believe you’ve been a victim of a skimming device, call our Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or email us at scams@attorneygeneral.gov.”

 – “Cybersquatting” and Fraudulent Sites: Copycat sites invert characters or slightly altering the name of a well-known website in order to impersonate that site. The copycat sites may look similar to the real website and can steal credit information. Shapiro said to carefully read website addresses to ensure you are shopping on a legitimate website.

Fake websites set up by scammers target online shoppers during the holiday season. Sometimes appearing as ad results in online searches, these sites may contain malware or steal entered credit card data. Avoid making purchases from untrustworthy sites.

Also ensure you are shopping on a secure website, by making sure the site’s URL begins with “https” and has a small padlock icon next to the webpage address. Keep your computer, tablet or smartphone up-to-date and install security software.

– Retailers Who Request Payment through Wire Transfer: Legitimate online businesses will not use wire transfer to collect payment for purchases. This is a sure sign of a scam, Shapiro said.

Pennsylvanians who believe they have been victims of a holiday scam can file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov. To receive scam alerts from the Office of Attorney General on your Apple or Android device, visit www.attorneygeneral.gov/Sign_Up_for_Alerts.aspx.