WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Raise your hand if you’ve ever bought something online. Yeah, that’s a lot of us.
“It was on Facebook. It looked like it was an interesting product,” said Marie-Ange De Silva, an online shopper.
She waited and waited, but the product never came.
What did she do? She called her credit card company and got a refund.
ALWAYS USE A CREDIT CARD, NOT A DEBIT CARD, TO BUY ITEMS ONLINE
A lot of people buy things online using their debit card because they say it's used as a credit card, but it’s not the same. A debit card doesn’t have the protections a credit card does.
“Your debit card takes money right out of your bank account, it's harder to get that back,” said Lechelle Yates of the Better Business Bureau. A true credit card is simply a charge and refunds are much easier.
DID YOU GET A WEIRD MESSAGE ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT BEING LOCKED OR A BOGUS CHARGE ON YOUR CARD?
Here's another buyer beware: Scammers are sending text messages or emails that look like they're coming from companies.
These impersonators create urgency by telling you you'll be charged on your card or your account is about to be locked.
“I think we're all afraid to admit it because we feel that we've been conned and that we were gullible, and we fell into the trap, but it happens. We just have to be careful,” said De Silva.
The words for it: Phishing. The scammer is fishing for your info and hoping to hook your username and password. Those messages are very convincing.
The best rule of thumb is to never believe the text. Don't get worried. Simply go directly to the source.
That means logging onto your account, opening the app, and calling your credit card company. Whatever you do, don’t click on the link.