How to protect yourself from scams this holiday season

Whether you’re online shopping on Black Friday or donating to charities during this holiday season, it can be all too easy to fall vulnerable to scammers.

The Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that tracks and manages consumer complaints, has compiled a list of the top 12 holiday scams.

WLRN spoke with Cinthya Lavin, the BBB's vice president of communication for Southeast Florida, about how to identify, avoid and navigate these scams from misleading social media ads to puppy scams.

Spotting red flags during a sale

The BBB recommends being careful with social media ads that promote discounted items, job opportunities, direct messages from strangers, donation requests and holiday events.

A red flag is if someone requests payment or donation through a third party or by wire transfer, prepaid debit card or gift card.

“Any high-pressure tactic is a big red flag. If you come across a salesperson [who] tells you that the deal ends today and you have to take action, and if you don't take action, then you're going to come back and that deal will not be available to you — that's a big red flag,” Lavin said.

READ MORE: False Medicare ads shot up in past years. Here's how you spot a scam

She added that anything that asks a customer to share a social security number or high levels of personal information is also of concern.

To avoid distractions from sales and online offerings, Lavin advises customers to make a shopping list and, if possible, make purchases with a credit card.

“The other thing is that whenever possible, shop with a credit card because credit cards have that layer of protection, that if you go to a retailer that doesn't fulfill their promise, they can go ahead and file a chargeback with their credit card company,” she said.

Top holiday scams

What to do if you get scammed

If you feel that you have been exposed to a scam — even if you didn't lose money — the BBB has a scam tracker to report a scam or find reports of similar scams in their database.

"If they feel like their personal information was compromised, we also advise people to go into the credit bureaus and put a lock on their credit just so that scammers cannot take credits out in their name and also call their banks and notify them," Lavin said.

The Federal Trade Commission also has a handy guide on what to do if you paid a scammer, gave personal information to a scammer or gave computer or phone access to a scammer.

"So be very careful who you have interactions with, not just during the holiday season, but across the board, online and over the phone and text message," Lavin added.