Chocolate box for Valentine's Day. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, some people may wait until the last minute to buy their loved ones a gift online. The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to look out for Valentine’s Day scams.
“If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is,” BBB spokesperson Lisa Schiller said.
Consumers are expected to spend around $26 billion this year on Valentine’s Day gifts, flowers, meals and more, according to the National Retail Federation. The Better Business Bureau said there are several common scams people should be aware of.
“It’s one of those holidays where people will jump online and Google the product they’re looking to buy,” Schiller said. “It could be flowers, it could be jewelry, it could even be an online dating site, you have to really watch out for that as well.”
Schiller said when buying online, you need to verify the business is legit. You can do this by calling the business, look for poor grammar and misspellings on the website, and copy the URL into godaddy.com to check the website’s creation date.
“Valentine’s Day is a romance holiday, so people are leading with their hearts, not necessarily first with their heads,” Schiller added.
Romance scams typically target vulnerable people that recently experienced a break-up. Scammers will try to gain sympathy, which could eventually lead to stealing money and personal information.
Phishing emails and fake e-cards are another way scammers can take advantage of you with romantic “deals.”
“Tell everyone you cannot buy a dozen roses for $5, so don’t click on the link and try to buy roses for $5, it’s a scam,” Cyber Works owner James Overly said.
Cyber Works in Green Bay specializes in cyber security and offers help to consumers and businesses. They suggest to avoid clicking on attachments, be skeptical of deals, and ignore unsolicited messages.
“A big red flag is any time they want information from you, name, email, if they’re asking for a credit card to verify your identity, don’t give them any information, nothing personal,” Overly said.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a scam, the Better Business Bureau says to always report it .
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