Stay Safe This Holiday Season With Smart Shopping Tips

The holiday shopping season is about to kick into high gear, and because of that, Attorney General Marty Jackley is warning shoppers about holiday scams. Dakota News Now spoke with Jackley, and he said, "Scammers never take off the holidays. Consumers need to be careful whether they are shopping online or in person. Always verify."

You may have heard of people purchasing gift cards and then finding out the cards had been tampered with or emptied of any value. Jackley said that gift card scams are reported frequently this time of year.

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He also advised extreme caution before signing for unexpected deliveries, "clicking onto a strange website or email, or agreeing to buy something over the telephone or Internet".

The Consumer Protection Division had a number of additional tips on how to stay safe when doing your holiday shopping.

For in-store purchases:

• Check refund policies
• Does the product have restocking fees for returned items?
• Check for fees and expiration dates on the gift card
• Compare prices
• Review warranties before you make a purchase

For online shopping:

• Place orders from a secure connection
• Avoid purchases that seem “too good to be true”
• Don’t purchase from an e-store that requires more information than necessary
• Make unique passwords
• Look for “https” on the website, not “http”
• Use a credit card, not a debit card, for purchases
• Check the company’s shipping and return policies

By being hyper-vigilant about your holiday shopping, you can prevent scammers from taking advantage of you and ruining your holiday season.

Source: Dakota News Now