Mother's Day Scams To Avoid
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – With Mother's Day less than two weeks ago, many people scramble at the last-minute to find something to send.
In their rush, they may fall prey to scammers who have created fraudulent Mother's Day gift sites, e-cards, flowers, and other discounted activities.
Scambook.com, a website where people log in about the scams they've encountered on-line and try to get help, has come up with the top three things to watch out for while Mother's Day shopping online.
First of all, be on guard for bogus online store which seemingly sell everything from jewelry to designer clothes to shoes, at bargain prices. Unfortunately, many of these online stores will take consumers' money without ever distributing the products.
Scambook advises only buying from reputable retailers, search for the company on Scambook's complaint database and use a credit card or pre-debit card to protect bank accounts.
Secondly, watch out for e-card 'phishing' scams. Cyber criminals embed e-cards with viruses or other malware designed to infect mothers' computers and steal personal information as well as allow the hackers access to the computers. It is recommended to send a real card and have mom not open any e-cards, even if she has a secure Internet browser and updates her anti-virus software.
Finally, be leery of fraudulent flower discounts and brunch coupons. Viruses can be installed on computers when users prompted to download discounts or sell fraudulent vouchers. Some promised year-round flower delivery, not redeemable with any existing florists while others assure one price, only to alter prices drastically when users try redeeming the discount.
By researching valid companies and staying local, those providing the product and services can be contacted by phone in regards to pricing and valid discount confirmation.
