COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cyber Monday is one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. Online shopping scams accounted for almost 32% of all the scams reported to the 2022 Better Business Bureau scam tracker report. 

What You Need To Know

  • Online shopping scams accounted for almost 32% of all scams in 2022, according to the BBB

  • 74% of people lost money when scammed online shopping

  • Using a credit card instead of a debit card when making a purchase can help you if you get scammed

Experts from the Better Business Bureau suggest the following: 

  • Keep antivirus software up to date to avoid pop-up phishing scams
  • Price check. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is
  • Always use a credit card because of the protections offered from various credit card companies
  • Have a clear understanding on the return policy for “closeout” or “final sale” items 

Judy Dollison who serves as the President for the BBB of Central Ohio said that consumers can start their check for scam websites by looking at the URL.

“In the URL of the website, make sure it has an 'https,'" said Dollison. “That “s” stands for secure and if there is not an “s” in the website, it is not a secured site. You should never be putting your credit card information into a site that doesn't have that “s”. That “s” doesn't mean that it could ever be a scam site, it could, but if it doesn't have it, that's a big red flag.”

Although customers do their best to shop smart, online scams are getting harder to spot. According to the 2022 BBB Scam Report, 74% of customers lost money when they got scammed online. Dollison said even though Cyber Monday is just 24 hours long, it’s important to still take your time.

“It’s just a really good time to fake an ad on social media that says, here's this item that you've been searching for, right on google,” said Dollison.

That algorithm can figure it out. In the end, you see this ad that seems irresistible. You want to take advantage of it. It's hard to find, you can get it, and it's a great price. You just really need to just slow down and do your research and make sure that you are purchasing from legitimate sellers.

If a website looks real but you’re not sure you can always cross reference it with the BBB scam tracker website and if you are unsatisfied with a purchase or company you can file a complaint here.