How to avoid online shopping scams this holiday season

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — If you and your family are anything like the rest of the country, you'll be doing a significant amount of your holiday shopping online this year.

In fact, 2019 is projected to be the first year in which more people do their shopping online than at brick-and-mortar locations, according to one consumer research survey.

Compared to 50 percent last year, the study projects that 54 percent of holiday purchases will be made online.

With that comes an increased risk of scams taking place. Online shopping scams are about 62 percent higher in December than any other month.

Here are some of the more common scams you might encounter online, according to online security firm BestVPN.org:

1. You pay for an item, but never receive it: This is the most common scam. You buy something from a website, pay for it online, and never get it. Later, when you try to get in touch with the company, the phone number is disconnected and the website is no longer operating. You won't get your money back.

How to avoid it: Don't buy from retailers that you don't know or can't find solid information on. In many cases, an internet search will help you confirm a website's legitimacy or lack thereof. And pay attention to the website's URL; if it doesn't start with the letters "http" that's a big red flag.

2. You buy an item, but it's out of stock: The seller will send you an email telling you the item was so popular they ran out, apologizing for the inconvenience and saying they'll refund your money. You don't get your money back.

How to avoid it: This one is a little tougher, because running out of inventory is something that happens to even the biggest and most reputable retailers. But the reputable sites will refund your money whereas the fly-by-night ones won't. Stick to websites you know and trust, and do your research.

3. Paying an upfront deposit: Typically this will be something you buy from another country: an item that's hard to find in the U.S., or a fantastic bargain. The scammer asks you to pay a deposit upfront and pay the rest on delivery. This is a scam. You won't get the item, and you won't get your money back either.

How to avoid it: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Avoid sellers — especially overseas sellers — that try to talk you into an upfront deposit and pay on delivery situation.

4. Emails and misdirection: You receive a message about a product you're interested in with a link to a website. The website may very well look legitimate, but often it's not. You won't get the item, and you won't get your money back.

How to avoid it: Read these emails carefully. If something seems off, like grammatical errors or words out of order in a sentence, it's probably a scam. Pay close attention to any site you visit through a hyperlink; some websites can imitate other well-known retailers closely, even duplicating logos and webpage layout. 

Better yet, don't click on that link at all. Hyperlinks in emails — especially emails from sites you're unfamiliar with — are often part of phishing tactics the scammer can use to steal your passwords or personal information.

One more tip — never shop on a public Wi-Fi system. Compared to a private network, hackers can more easily gain access to your personal data, passwords, credit card numbers and more.