ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr’s Consumer Protection Division is encouraging Georgians to shop safely this holiday season and look out for scams that could hurt their wallet or lead to identity theft. 

“Criminals will do whatever they can to cheat and steal from Georgia shoppers, particularly with the increase in spending and charitable donations this time of year,” warns Carr. “Our Consumer Protection Division is offering key tips and resources to help Georgians keep their costs low and their finances safe, and we stand ready to assist any consumer who thinks they’ve encountered a scam.” 

Is It Really a Sale?

Some retailers will try to lure in customers by deceptively advertising that their merchandise is on sale, when, in fact, the prices were never actually reduced. Other times a retailer will mislead consumers by showing an inflated “list price” or “compare to” price when, in reality, the higher prices shown don’t accurately reflect the store’s original prices or the typical market price for the items. So, it’s important to comparison shop. You can look at similar items in other stores or websites. 

There are also websites and mobile apps that will help you compare prices quickly and easily. Below are several that PC Magazine recommends:

  • Amazon App: From the Amazon app, you can tap the heart next to any Amazon product you're considering to save it to your list and get an alert when the price drops. The app can also be used to scan an item when you're in a store to find it on Amazon and check its price.
  • BuyVia: Shows you the latest deals and coupons and lets you navigate to a barcode scanner that can be used in stores to find the best prices at nearby shops or online. You can also use the app to create price alerts for when an item you’re interested in drops to the price you’ve set.
  • Price.com: With website and mobile app versions, Price.com lets you compare prices at major retailers by typing in a search, using the barcode scanner, or uploading or taking a photo of an item. When you open the app, you'll find lots of coupons to use online and in stores for dozens of retailers and services. Plus, if you're waiting to purchase an item at a certain price, you can set a price alert.
  • Shop Savvy: Scan or search for items and see how much they are in-store and online. You can also see when there are sales at major stores, and you can compare prices from tons of retailers. A nice feature of ShopSavvy is that you can track prices on a graph to see how they fluctuate, which lets you time and plan your purchases.

Other Tips for Safe Shopping During the Holidays

  • Only make purchases through reputable companies. With more people shopping online, it’s important to check out a company’s reputation with the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org. You can also read consumer reviews by searching online for the company name, along with the word “complaint,” “review” or “scam.” Think twice before buying a product from an ad on social media. Instead, see if you can find the same product from a well-known retailer or website.
  • Beware of phony retail websites. Watch out for fake websites that look very similar to that of an actual online merchant. Scammers may try to lure you to such sites using ads, texts or unsolicited emails that promise a “free gift” or a great bargain. Check the website name very closely. Spelling or grammatical errors may tip you off to a bogus site. Avoid navigating to a website through a link in a text, ad or unsolicited email.
  • If possible, use credit cards when making purchases. Credit cards offer greater protections against fraud than cash, debit cards, payment apps, or cryptocurrency.
  • Beware of package delivery scams. Scammers send texts and emails that purport to come from the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx saying that you missed a delivery or there’s an update about your package. These imposters are trying to steal your money or sensitive data by prompting you to provide personal or payment information. Do not interact with the message. Instead, contact the actual shipping company or the online merchant from which you ordered merchandise to see if there really is a delivery problem.
  • Watch out for fake order confirmations. Scammers may impersonate well-known retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart, Target or Costco, by sending a text message or email confirming a recent purchase you supposedly made totaling several thousand dollars. The message will likely contain a link or phone number to call to cancel the order and receive a refund. But, if you follow the instructions, you’ll end up giving your money or account credentials to a scammer. You can safely verify the status of your account at any time by going to the verified website address of the retailer in question, where you can then view your orders, track shipments and securely contact customer service.
  • Guard against thieves who may steal packages off your doorstep. Track packages so you know when they arrive. Consider having packages shipped to your work address instead of your home or asking a neighbor to pick up packages for you if you’re away.
  • Avoid bogus charities. Many charities solicit for donations around the holidays, but scammers like to get in on the action too. Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited texts or emails or on ads that pop-up in your social media accounts. Being asked to donate to a charity via wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency is a red flag of a scam. Your safest bet is to initiate contact with the charity of your choice through a verified website or phone number. You can research a charity by visiting give.org or charitynavigator.org. To report a charity scam, contact the Georgia Secretary of State’s Charities Division.
  • Pay close attention to return policies. A business may set its own return policy and may offer consumers cash, in-store credit, exchanges, or no adjustment at all. Many stores also set time limits on when they accept returns. While not required to post their policies, businesses must honor any posted refund or return policy.
  • Check your bank and credit card accounts frequently. With the extra shopping you may be doing, an unauthorized charge might be harder to catch. Review your bank and credit card accounts often, and if you come across a charge you don’t recognize, contact your financial provider immediately so that you can report the fraudulent charge, cancel the compromised card, and request a replacement card. In the case of fraud, you should also contact one of the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to have a fraud alert placed on your account.