Better Business Bureau issues warning about holiday credit card fraud

Consumer advocates say fraudulent websites and fake holiday deals are driving a spike in credit card fraud across the region.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Holiday shopping is in full swing, and local consumer experts warn that credit card scams are also on the rise.

With the holiday season comes holiday shopping, and many consumers will be using their debit and credit cards for payment. But with that, many consumers risk credit card scams. President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Kelvin Collins says research all sites before entering your card information.

“Don’t click on text messages and links you aren’t familiar with,” he said. “Don’t click on links in your email you aren’t familiar with, because you don’t always know where they’re leading you.”

Collins says the most prevalent scams they see are people entering their card information on fraudulent sites once they see a “too good to be true” sale. He says if it feels too good to be true, it most likely is.

“Take some time and don’t go with your first reaction of, ‘Oh, that’s a great deal, I need to jump on that.’ Take some time to research and make sure you’re buying from a legitimate company before you jump at it. Now, there are going to be some great deals on Cyber Monday. But there are also going to be opportunities for scammers to separate you from your hard-earned money.”

Collins recommends having notifications set up on your device so you can see when and where your card is being used.

“So that you can know that somebody has just run a charge on your card, and if that happens you can contact your credit card company immediately and freeze that card,” he said.

The BBB suggests all shoppers use a credit card instead of a debit card when shopping.

“A credit card gives you that protection that if it is a fraudulent charge they will reimburse you the money and you don’t lose anything,” he said. “The debit card — you have those same protections but, in the meantime, they have a direct pipeline into your checking account. The safe bet is just to use your credit card. You’ll have protections in place, and you don’t lose anything.”

If you experience credit card fraud, contact your local law enforcement. For more tips, visit the Better Business Bureau website at bbb.org.