OHIO — Retail sales are expected to be up 2.5% to 3.5% this year from 2023, according to the National Retail Federation. Regardless of how much retailers make, a big part of those sales will come from Cyber Monday.

What You Need To Know

  • According to the BBB scam tracker, 41% of all scams last year were online shopping scams 
  • Central Ohio’s BBB says business should have their licensing and badges on display for consumers to see 
  • BBB experts say businesses should communicate in a clear and transparent way with customers, and be responsive to customer service needs

Judy Dollison, President of the Central Ohio Better Business Bureau, said 82% of shoppers who were targeted by an online scam fell for it and lost money.

Dollison said, in an effort to keep consumers safe, businesses should display things like the BBB Accredited Business seal to show they have committed to standards of trust and ethical practices. That also includes making sure customers can easily see a business license, badges and links to associations.

“Those are all ways that they can show the customer that they really care about them and that they're trying to…have an honest relationship with the consumer,” Dollison said. 

As individuals shop online, Dollison said that it’s helpful for businesses to have antivirus software, especially with all of the hacking that occurs. That’s in addition to educating consumers about safe shopping practices, while making known their own security measures.

While there are a number of ways for businesses to keep consumers safe, Dollison said there are a lot of online retailers who scammers impersonate by simply misspelling the name of a URL in the smallest way.

As a result, online shoppers should:

  • Make sure websites you’re shopping on are secure
  • Look for “https” in a business URL as the “s” stands for secure 
  • Don't put your credit card information if you don’t see the “s” in the URL 
  • Be on the lookout for look-alike websites.