Watching out for online shopping scams INDIANAPOLIS (CONSUMER REPORTS) — An important warning for online shoppers is to beware of bogus sales in their social media news feeds. You might see too-good-to-be-true prices on everything from tumblers to sneakers to beauty products and countless other hot holiday items. Don’t fall for it! Consumer Reports reveals how to spot the fakes so your real money isn’t wasted. Was the Grinch behind that ad for trendy holiday gifts that turned out too good to be true? In Bill Sipp’s case, it was an ad for lawn mower equipment. He needed two hard-to-find belt parts for his old Snapper mowers. He found a place that said they did have them in stock. However, after waiting a few days, his order was still pending. He tried calling them, but the phone number was no good. He then called his credit card company and was able to reverse the overseas charge. Bill is embarrassed once he realizes what he has done. But he’s not the only one with click remorse. According to a recent study by the Better Business Bureau, bogus online sales contributed to a 125 percent uptick in fraud reports. Scammers are ready to pounce on unsuspecting holiday scrollers. So, if an item is sold out everywhere else and you find it on a random website you’ve never heard of, there’s a good chance it could be fraudulent. Online shoppers might not even realize they’re buying from a third-party vendor and not directly from a reputable shopping website. This not only opens the door to fraudulent transactions but also faulty products. Unsafe products like pajamas that violate federal flammability standards and carbon monoxide detectors that don’t work have been sold by third-party sellers. The laws haven’t kept up with the emergence of online marketplaces, and, as a result, they aren’t providing legal and financial incentives for companies to keep consumers safe. That needs to change. Before you click ‘buy’, do your homework. If it’s a business you’ve never heard of, search for it on Better Business Bureau or elsewhere. If it’s a retailer you’re unfamiliar with, type in the name of the retailer with the word scam or review to see what other people are saying. Shop online with a credit card. Most offer fraud protection. If your order never arrives on your doorstep, dispute the charge.