BBB warns of holiday online shopping scams

KSNF/KODE — More tips from the Better Business Bureau this holiday season about what to watch out for if you're doing any online shopping.

BBB issues warning about Missouri business

The BBB office in Springfield says deep discounts on popular items that seem too good to be true probably are.

Regular online shops or social media shops that only take payment through gift cards or peer-to-peer payment apps indicate that something's not quite right.

The BBB recommends taking a moment to carefully inspect shopping websites to make sure they're legitimate, starting with the URL address.

"Make sure it starts with an HTTPS. Make sure there are no misspellings and make sure you've got that little lock at the beginning that shows you that you're in a secure site. Look for contact information. Look for a physical address. Look for a working phone number. Because if something goes wrong, you want to know you can contact customer service," said Pamela Hernandez, BBB Springfield regional director.

A BBB scam-tracker risk report from 2023 found that online purchase scams were the third-riskiest scams reported by consumers last year.