Illinois shoppers beware of scams this holiday season, warns attorney general’s office

Illinois — Illinoisans should be vigilant this holiday shopping season to avoid scammers, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office warned ahead of Black Friday.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement going into Thanksgiving weekend, a time when shoppers are expected to flock to stores in person and online for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.

Raoul’s office urged residents to be vigilant when shopping online. He said shoppers should to do their research before accepting “buy now, pay later” offers or using services that split the cost of a purchase into multiple payments, which often can include hidden fees or interest in the fine print.

The announcement also warned against agreeing to take online loans while shopping.

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest e-commerce days of the year, and it’s important that shoppers do not let their pursuit for deals allow them to be vulnerable to hidden fees or scams,” Raoul said in a news release. “My office provides advice and resources to help people avoid identity theft and assist those who think their information may have been compromised. I encourage those who need more details to visit my office’s website.”

Before accepting “buy now, pay later” deals, shoppers should find out if there are any interest charges or fees, what the penalty is for missing a payment, or if the service will report their payment history to credit bureaus or check their credit before approving them for a plan, according to a news release.

This can be done by reading the fine print on the service’s privacy policy, which also includes what personal information will be collected and how it will be used.

Raoul’s office said shoppers should be aware when they are using “drop shippers,” which are third-party websites that coordinate sales between consumers and manufacturers. Although some drop shippers such as online retail giant Amazon are reliable, others may try to lead shoppers to believe they are the manufacturer of a product, charge extra fees or sell counterfeit goods.

The statement included several other tips for a safe online shopping experience during the holiday season, including making sure the websites you are on are authentic by verifying the web addresses instead of just clicking the first result in a search engine, reading online reviews for companies you are unfamiliar with, avoiding links sent in texts or emails from unfamiliar addresses, and never allowing third parties to have remote access to your computer or downloading a company’s software to make a purchase.

Raoul’s office also warned that shoppers should protect their private information. That could include taking protections against identity theft by always paying with a credit card or using services such as Apple, Google Pay or PayPal to avoid giving credit card information directly to a seller.

Shoppers also should be wary of websites that do not accept credit cards and instead require wire transfers, money orders, gift cards or cryptocurrency for payments, according to the release. Shoppers should make sure they trust a seller if they need to use a direct peer-to-peer payment on apps such as Zelle, Venmo or Cash App.

The warning also recommended that online shoppers use multifactor authentication when possible, sign up for free fraud alerts from banks and credits cards, use different usernames and passwords for all their accounts, and read the fine print on purchases to avoid hidden costs or recurring charges.

Additionally, consumers should ensure they receive a delivery date when making online purchases. If a seller does not promise a ship time in their ad, they must ship your order within 30 days of receiving your payment and information unless they explain their delays and offer the option to cancel for a refund.

Raoul’s office also advised people not to rush into online shopping offers.

“It can be tempting to move quickly to try to score good deals in the frenzy of the holiday sale season,” according to the release. “Scammers count on perceived pressure to convince us to do things we otherwise wouldn’t, such as sharing personal information.

“Taking time to evaluate offers can save you from getting stuck with a payment plan that charges high interest rates or fees, and comparison shopping before making a purchase can help you avoid overpaying for low-quality items.”

Anyone who believes they have been scammed is encouraged to contact the attorney general’s office through its website at www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer to file a complaint or call the office’s Consumer Fraud Hotlines.