3 big holiday season online scams you need to know about

Fake charities are becoming more prevalent.  It’s simple – they convince people to pay into a charity that doesn’t exist.

Tom Stephens with the Better Business Bureau of Northeast Florida says you can tell a fake charity if they are not specific on how they spend their money.

Fake websites

Fake websites not only take people’s money and don’t deliver the product, but they can also steal checking account information and continue preying on the same person.

Stephens says the best way to tell a fake website is if the deal is too good to be true.

“If you’ve got an item that normally costs two-hundred bucks and they’re selling it to you for seventy-five, stay away,” he says.

Fake e-cards

And in recent years, the BBB has seen an increase in the number of fake e-cards.  Victims will click the link and end up installing viruses or malware on their computers.  Stephens says don’t open any e-cards or emails from unknown addresses.

“The Internet helps scammers because they can be as creative and anonymous as they want,” he says.

CLICK HERE to report a scam to the BBB.