Avoiding online schemes this holiday season

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The holiday shopping season is in full swing which means scammers are hard at work plotting on innocent shoppers.

This time of year is the prime time for cybercriminals to take advantage of shoppers through fake website links or even calls.

This makes it more important for shoppers to be aware especially with the advancements in AI technology.

"It is really concerning how active the scams are and how persistent they are and how much more convincing and authentic they look when they send an email or a text and so consumers just need to be very very careful when shopping online," said Milagros Johnson, the director of consumer information with the Springfield mayor's office.

When shopping, Johnson says consumers may want to use a virtual credit card that is issued by their credit card company because it's for a one-time use and it protects the card details.

When it comes to these cyber criminals they will try to steal financial information, the identity of individuals, and money.

To protect your information, cybersecurity officials say you may want to consider using strong passwords, updating your computer software, avoiding clicking on suspicious links, and only shopping with trusted sources. While many Americans will be spending the big bucks on their loved ones, shoppers should consider checking their bank accounts frequently to make sure the numbers are adding up correctly and that there are no unknown purchases being made with the card.

In the case that you do get scammed this holiday season, be sure to report it to your bank and file a dispute.