CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With Black Friday next week, you will probably be taking advantage of plenty of holiday shopping deals! Many are turning to social media for inspiration as ads pop up on your feed.
But there is a warning tonight that those ads might be on the naughty list.
According to the Better Business Bureau, there were more than 29,000 reports of online fraud in 2023. That's up 116% from the year before.
So what do you need to look out for?
OUR SOURCES:
- The Charlotte Better Business Bureau
The Federal Trade Commission
WHAT WE FOUND:
According to the BBB, eight out of 10 people are susceptible to losing money from these scams. The FTC reports that more money reportedly lost to fraud originated on social media than any other method.
In 2023, most scams included ads pretending to sell the following items:
- Beauty products
- Items that went viral on social media
- Puppies and rare or exotic animals
- Popular shoes
Here's what you should look out for to avoid getting scammed:
- Items offered at a deep discount
- Deals that seem too good to be true
- Long shipping windows
- Unprofessional-looking webpages
The BBB suggests using a credit card and researching a seller before purchasing. Make sure to also look at reviews as well. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of a scam:
Emotional appeal - Any pitch that ratchets up your emotion will inhibit your rational judgment.
Sense of urgency - You MUST act now, or else.
Request for unorthodox payment - Gift cards, prepaid credit cards, wire transfers, etc.
Explanations that don't ring true - If your new “landlord” can’t show you the inside of the house, that could be because they don’t own it.
You won, now pay up - It’s not a prize if you have to pay for it. Taxes, fees, shipping, whatever.
Too good to be true - That’s because it’s not true. Sorry, your long-lost relative didn’t die, leaving you millions. That car you bought online for a third of its Kelly Blue Book value doesn’t really exist. The son of a billionaire diamond broker didn’t “swipe right” on you and fall instantly in love. That work-at-home job paying you hundreds of dollars an hour for stuffing envelopes isn’t real.