JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is urging residents to exercise caution as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber monday approach, warning of increased scam activity targeting holiday shoppers.
With the busiest shopping weekend of the year underway, Attorney General Hanaway’s office reports scammers are deploying fake emails, deceptive websites, and misleading advertisements to exploit consumers seeking deals.”Criminals know families are searching for the best deals of the season,” Hanaway said.”Our job is to protect Missourians from deceptive practices and to make sure scammers don’t turn the holidays into an opportunity to steal your money, data, or identity. I want every Missourian to shop confidently and safely this weekend.”
The attorney General’s Office offers the following advice to protect against fraud:
black Friday Shopping Tips:
* Be wary of unsolicited emails offering ”exclusive” deals that request personal information.
* Avoid retailers that inflate prices before Black Friday to falsely suggest meaningful discounts.
* Be aware that some stores may not honor price matching between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
* Carefully review the terms and conditions of all deals, offers, and promotions.
Cyber Monday Online Shopping Tips:
* Avoid websites with misspellings or excessive hyphens in the URL.
* Exercise skepticism towards deals that appear too good to be true.
* Be cautious of emails or messages reporting ”delivery failures” or requesting “order confirmation.”
* Use credit cards for online purchases, as they generally provide stronger fraud protection than debit cards.
* Create strong, unique passwords for online accounts.
Consumers who believe they have been targeted by a scam or experienced fraudulent charges are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection team at 800.392.8222 or file a report through the AG’s Office website: https://ago.mo.gov/.
