How you can avoid being scammed online on Cyber Monday

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Cyber Monday is here and people in Mid-Michigan are calling this year a win-win. Local retailers are offering deals online with same day, in-store pickup.

Price matching, discounts, and deals on top of deals. Cyber Monday is known to be one of the biggest online retail days of the year.

“We’ve been trying to get all my Christmas shopping done before I have to leave tomorrow to go back,” said holiday shopper, Teresa Sonfilippo Wilcox. She now lives in Mesa, Arizona but was out shopping in Lansing with her daughter.

Sonfilippo Wilcox said Monday is the first time that she’s ever gone in-person shopping on Cyber Monday. “I ordered online but I picked it up here cause it was cheaper to do that. I saved quite a bit of money.”

While people like Sonfilippo Wilcox are out taking advantage of deals, hackers may be looking to take advantage of you. Computer hacking and mal ware expert, Dr. Tom Holt said that with more people choosing to shop online, scammers have more personal information to steal.

Holt suggests using trusted online retailers and avoiding using public networks. “If you’re doing a lot of purchasing or financial transactions via open WiFi places, like at a coffee shop, there’s no guarantee that your information is safe in delivery or in transit.”

Sonfilippo Wilcox said “the online ones were really good. In-store, no but, online, yes.”

When shopping online, Holt said it is best to read the fine print, research the product, and use an online payment system, like PayPal, so deals are the only thing being taken advantage of this Cyber Monday.