The holiday season is practically here, which means the gift of giving is upon us. For most of us, buying gifts is the way we show love and appreciation. Purchasing products online has increased in popularity amongst holiday shoppers in these recent years. Although online shopping is convenient and saves time, we are more at risk for fraudulent holiday purchases.

Tips for protecting yourself from fraud

Protect yourself from any potential scams this season by double-checking and making certain products, sellers, and websites are authentic.

Do you trust the website for your purchases?
Do some research before completing your purchase; ask a friend for their opinion and look up youtube reviews of their products. For more accurate and quick results, you can use Whitepages.com or Whitepages Premium to see if the website is legitimate. Use the available email (or phone number) listed on the website to search on one of Whitepages’ products. Using report monitoring, our accurate and up-to-date results will show how trustworthy that email is and if you should continue using the website.

How do I protect myself from scam when using craigslist?
Apps like Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, and Craigslist have had multiple red flag purchases. Protect yourself from potential scam by getting to know the person before any face to face interactions. Use the person’s phone number to search on Whitepages’ Reverse Phone App or Whitepages Premium. With one search you can find that person’s name, last known location of the phone number, and criminal history.

Always do research before you make purchases to protect yourself this holiday season.