How to shop safely on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday

Throughout the holiday season, and especially over Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday weekend, we’re all on the lookout for extremely low discounts.

But these days there are scammers lurking everywhere that could spoil your Christmas spirit.

Shoppers Mandy, Julie and Holly, shopping at a craft market recently, say they were burned by fake or misleading advertising.

“You see something for sale and what you get is not the same. Oh yes, all the time,” they said.

Ashley Volbrecht owns a mobile fashion boutique, TruckShop.

She’s heard many stories of fashion failures, from customers duped by low prices on social media.

“If it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true,” she said. “You get it in person and it doesn’t look like the photo or it’s lit differently.”

Beware of fake websites and unexpected messages from stores

James Mirfin is the global head of Visa’s Risk and Identity Solutions.

“You have to be a lot more conscious when shopping online,” he said.

His first warning: Watch out for fake websites seeking your information.

He recently said: “We have seen a nearly 300% increase in the number of fake or fraudulent merchants compared to the previous four months.”

NerdWallet credit card expert Sarah Rathner says be especially wary of emails and texts from retailers, even if you’ve shopped with them before.

“Sometimes they’ll tell you, ‘Hey, there’s something wrong with your account. Click here to update your account information.’ “Don’t do it. Don’t click that button,” she said.

When shopping online, experts say:

• Buy from a trusted retailer.
• Beware of retailers you’ve never heard of in social media ads offering extremely low prices.
• And set up two-factor authentication, especially if you have your credit card information stored online.

If you’re shopping in person at a store or at a craft fair, you still need to be careful, according to Visa’s James Mirfin.
“The best thing you can do for secure transactions is tap or use contactless transactions. This provides an additional level of security and peace of mind,” he said.

And if possible, he says, use a credit card — which offers better protection against fraudulent activity — rather than a debit card.

Karen Gassett is particularly careful when shopping online.

“Is it true or is it fake, you’re taking your chance, so to speak,” she said.

That’s why she prefers to shop in person at trusted stores and local craft fairs where you know who the artist is so you don’t waste your money.

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