Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday released a guide that aims to help holiday shoppers spot scams, recalls or any fake shopping sites set up on the internet.
The release of the 2021 Holiday Consumer Protection Guide comes as Moody says scammers are looking to take advantage of the supply chain problems.
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“Anytime there is anxiety or stress in the marketplace, it makes it right for fraud and scams because people want to take advantage of that solicitation. People want to jump in and get something that they think is going to be gone by the holidays. And so this truly is what we see. We saw it when COVID started. People get anxious in the supply chain, and so there are a lot of scams that happen,” Moody said during a news conference Monday in Osceola County. “So we suspect with the increased anxiety over supply and demand that we will see increased scams.”
With the supply chain shortages affecting holiday shopping, financial analysts are suggesting that consumers may want to shop earlier to make purchases.
VIEW: 2021 Holiday Consumer Protection Guide
The Holiday Consumer Protection Guide also has advice to help you avoid threats. For instance, use a credit card instead of a debit card when shopping online, as credit cards allow you to dispute a charge more easily if an item never arrives or a fraudulent charge occurs.
In addition, the guide has information on donating to charities and how to make sure your money is going to good causes instead of just administrative expenses.
You can find more information and tips in the guide.
For a complete list of all product recalls, visit CPSC.gov.
To report fraud or file a complaint, visit MyFloridaLegal.com or call 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (866-966-7226).