Be wary of holiday scams

By Staff
With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us may take advantage of shopping online and others will brave the crowds at malls and shopping centers.
While shopping online is convenient, it may not always be safe. Consumers need to safeguard their personal information while shopping online.
The Better Business Bureau has suggestions for safe online buying. Consumers should always make sure they are on a secured website before providing any personal or financial information. Look for websites that start with "http" or look for a yellow closed clock or an unbroken key. These are all recognized signs of a secured website.
If you are still uncomfortable giving financial information, seek another way of purchasing the chosen items. Whenever possible, pay with a credit card so that charges may be disputed. If you cannot pay by credit card, consider COD or make payment by check or money order.
Check with the Better Business Bureau local to the business for a reliability report and to make sure the business is authentic.
If using an online auction, such as Ebay, consumers should use as much caution as possible. Here are a few points the Better Business Bureau suggests buyers look for at online auctions:
Please remember while buying online that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is, and more research should be done before purchasing the item. Or you can save yourself the hassle and buy from a local merchant.