Scam Alert Archives/Archivos de Alertos de Fraude
December 2007

ENGLISH VERSION

Hello, and thank-you for calling the Consumer Task Force Scam Alert. My name is Timothy Halodik and I am a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

If you're like me, you will be doing a lot of shopping this holiday season and many of you will purchase items online. The weeks after Thanksgiving are now the busiest days of the year for online shopping and that's why we'd like to start you off right with some consumer safety tips.

Here's our specific advice for shopping safely on the Internet:

  1. Do your homework on the web retailer. Make sure you're buying items from a reputable and legitimate company. Don't judge the business by its website. Make sure the site has a physical address and a working phone number. Check consumer websites for information about the company.
  2. When using your credit card for purchases, make sure the website is secure. Look for the tiny padlock icon that symbolizes, but doesn't necessarily guarantee, a higher level of security. Also, check out the site's security or encryption software.
  3. Be very cautious when responding to special offers especially those that come via unsolicited e-mail. Also, be cautious when dealing with companies or persons outside the country.
  4. If you're participating in an Internet auction, read the fine print. Before you bid, learn as much as you can about how the auction works, what your responsibilities are as a buyer, what the seller's obligations are, and what actions the website takes if a problem occurs. Learn as much as you can about the seller. And don't give out your social security number or driver's license number to the seller.
  5. Make sure your computer has a firewall and the latest anti-virus software. And we can't repeat this enough: don't open unknown e-mail attachments.

Finally, If you think you've been scammed go online and file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is run by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and contact your local police. We also recommend that you file a complaint with the retailer.

Shopping online can be efficient and fun, but be sure you make your purchases safely to ensure a happy holiday season.

If you would like more information about this and other fraud alerts, please visit the Consumer Task Force website at www.consumertaskforce.org or visit the FEB web-site at www.fbi.gov.

 

SPANISH VERSION

Seguridad de compras navidenas sobre el Internet

Hola, le habla el agente Halodik con el FBI en Charlotte. Tambien soy miembro del grupo en contra del fraude en el condado de Mecklenburg. Nuestro aviso del mes enfoca sobre las compras navidenas usando el red electronico.

Siga estas recomendaciones para que sus compras sobre el internet sean seguras:

  1. Investigue la compania con la cual desea hacer compras. Asegure que la compania tiene telefono y direccion fisica. Revise información sobre la compania con otras agencias con servicios al consumidor, como el BBB.
  2. Confirme la seguridad de la red electronica, cuando utilice tarjetas de credito como pago. rBusque el pequeño símbolo del candado dorado, que le indica (¡pero no le garantiza! Un nivel mayor de seguridad. Revise la seguriad de encripcion de la red.
  3. Sea cauteloso con las ofertas, especialmente aquellas que usted no ha solicitado or que provienen fuera del pais.
  4. Lea toda la información antes de participar en una subasta en el Internet. Aprenda todo lo que pueda sobre como funciona la subasta, cuales son sus responsabilidades como comprado, cuales son las obligaciones del vendedor y que acciones tomara el local electronico, si ocurre un problema con su compra. No le provea información personal, como su numero de seguro social y numero de licencia de conducir, al vendedor.
  5. Por ultimo, asegurese que su computador tiene un enpaque anti-virus y barreras de seguridad.

Si cree ser victima de fraude al Internet, registre su querella con el centro de querellas de crímenes en el Internet. Tambien puede registrar su querella con la comision federal de negocios. Para recibir información sobre estos y otros fraudes, visite nuestro grupo en contra del fraude en el condado de Mecklenburg en nuestro web electronico: www.consumertaskforce.org.

Felices Pascuas y felices compras.