Tips for Georgia holiday shoppers to safeguard against fraud

Before shopping for the holidays, Georgia customers should take precautions against fraud, rip-offs and identity theft.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr says the prevalence of online gift buying makes it more important than ever for customers to safeguard their wallets and identities. He provided several tips:

Shoppers should consider using credit cards, which provide refunds for defective items and fraudulent purchases. Gifts bought with cash, checks or debit cards don’t provide the same protection. Customers should also check their credit card and bank accounts frequently to ensure transactions are accurate.

In addition, Carr suggests that customers avoid online scams by shopping with reputable, well-known websites and checking out companies with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org. Shoppers should also compare prices to make sure that advertised discounts are actually a good deal.

The Department of Justice is suing to block AT&T's bid for Time Warner. The lawsuit will be one of the biggest antitrust cases in decades. AT&T wanted to buy Time Warner for $85 billion. Time Warner owns some TV channels, movies, HBO and CNN. AT&T could, for example, make streaming Game of Thrones not count against your AT&T data cap. Critics have concerns about antitrust because of exactly that kind of scenario. However, Democrats worry the suit is a front for Trump to attack CNN.

Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.

Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.