Indiana (WEHT) In an official press release on Tuesday, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita offered tips to help holiday shoppers avoid scams.
“Christmas should be about celebrating faith and family and friends,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Amid each year’s festivities, though, it seems we must always contend with shameless con artists determined to defraud generous Hoosiers and separate them from their hard-earned money.”
Scammers are known to usually target rushed, unsuspecting victims. Attorney General Rokita has the following tips to avoid falling victim to scams:
- When shopping online, stick to secure websites that have “http” in their web address–or a lock icon.
- Pay by credit card when shopping online. Review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize. If necessary, dispute the charges with your credit card company–it’s much harder to dispute charges when using a debit card or obtaining cash back.
- When buying gift cards, be sure to note the expiration date as well as all terms that apply to the card. Keep receipts for gift cards in case they don’t properly activate to the amount you paid.
- If anyone calls or emails you and asks you pay using a gift card, they are most definitely a scammer. Do not cooperate with them.
- When shopping at physical locations, hide your purchases in the trunk of your car or under the seat so they are not visible…
