WMTV - February is the month of love, but it is also a good opportunity for scammers. Scammers can take the look of an official website and make their own copy, often with extremely low prices. The goal is to steal personal data and credit card information with logins or purchases. To spot a fake website, watch for unreasonably large discounts, requests to pay with cash transfer apps or cryptocurrency and a complete lack of customer service. Romance scammers target people who have recently had a breakup or other life event, building sympathy.
The scammer will eventually ask for money, stealing thousands of dollars from victims. Be wary of those trying to flatter you online, especially if the relationship moves very fast, they never want to meet in person and they ask you for money. After responding, the scammer may try to lure you into a conversation. Eventually, they will try to get your personal information, often by asking you to sign up for an adult site.
This scam may fit if the messages do not stop, the sender asks you to sign up for a website or they ask personal questions. Those looking for flowers last minute are especially vulnerable to this scam involving fake florists online. Websites pretending to be real florists may offer low priced flowers with a promised quick delivery. But once you enter in your credit card information and delivery details, the scam can go a few different ways. The next steps can range from receiving flowers late, damaged or not matching the order to never receiving flowers and finding additional purchases on your credit card.
The BBB suggests researching sellers by reading review and verifying contact information, checking for secure websites and using secure payment methods. To report scams, visit the BBB website.
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