Helpful tips from Consumer Affairs can help you avoid scams

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH – The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs encourages shoppers to be aware of scams that can increase during the holiday season. Things to look out for include fake delivery texts and gift card tampering.

“Scammers thrive when people feel rushed, stressed and pressured to spend money,” said Sheryl Harris, Director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs. “The best advice for avoiding scams during the holidays is to take a deep breath and slow down before you click, call or buy.”

Use this advice from Consumer Affairs to help you get what you pay for this holiday season:

Beware of scam texts about order or delivery problems:

NEVER click on links in texts claiming there are problems with your order or delivery. Scammers pretending to be from the U.S. Postal Service or well-known companies try to get people to click on links by sending texts that claim there’s a problem with an order or delivery. Clicking on the link in a scam message can download malware onto your device or lead you to a scam site designed to get your money or personal information.

Shoppers should also avoid clicking on links or calling numbers included in unexpected texts or emails. If you’re worried about a purchase, visit the store’s site to check your order’s status.

Watch out for gift card tampering

Criminals are stealing gift card numbers in order to drain funds as soon as an unsuspecting consumer buys a card. It can be hard to detect whether gift card packaging has been tampered with.

To lessen your chances of purchasing a compromised card, consider buying e-gift cards directly from a retailer’s website or from stores that keep gift cards behind the sales counter. Pay with a credit card, which gives you stronger dispute rights if there is a problem. In addition, check the card’s balance after purchase, and keep the receipt until the gift card is used.

Ignore pop-up windows that say your computer has a virus

Virus alert pop-ups prompt people to call a number for help, but actually lead to scammers who try to get payments or gain remote access to devices. If you get a pop-up virus alert or your computer screen freezes, power down your device and restart it. To avoid pop-ups altogether, go to your device settings and turn the pop-ups setting to “off”.

See more online shopping tips from Consumer Affairs at cuyahogacounty.gov/shopping. Report scams to Scam Squad at 216-443-7226.