AG Moody urges online shoppers to be cautious during Cyber Monday and busy holiday shopping season

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Cyber Monday is in full swing, and unfortunately, so are criminals hoping to steal your hard-earned money.

On Monday, Attorney General Ashley Moody stopped by Tampa to urge Floridians to be cautious while shopping online.

Moody, officials with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and members of the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit said it was crucial for consumers to protect their sensitive information while holiday shopping.

“The hustle and bustle and increased spending often is a ripe time for scammers and criminals to take advantage of those that may be unsuspecting shoppers,” Moody said.

According to Moody, one of the most common online tactics being used to target shoppers is impersonation scams.

With these scams, fraudsters will call, text or email consumers, posing as a legitimate company in an attempt to get their personal information or money.

For example, according to Moody, a consumer may receive an email or a phone call from a person pretending to be from Amazon or another online retailer, claiming their account is suspended and the only way to regain access is to send them money or gift cards.

Moody said a consumer may also receive a text or email that appears to be from UPS or the United States Postal Service saying that a package cannot be delivered. The scammers attempt to get the victim will click on the link in the text or email to “claim” the package, providing personal and financial information to the fraudsters.

Moody provided the following tips for people to avoid falling victim to these schemes:

If you fall victim to a cyber crime, Attorney General Moody suggests the following steps:

Tips for shopping online safely can be found in the 2023 Holiday Consumer Protection Guide .