JACKSON — Each week, the Jackson Police Department makes a post called Fraud Prevention Friday on its social media about scams — different types, facets, mediums and how the public can protect themselves from them. This week’s edition pertains to online shopping scams.
According to the post, a lot of ecommerce retailers give customers the option to store credit card information with them for “faster check-out” next time. However, while this is convenient for buyers, it is also very convenient for scammers as well. All scammers have to do is get a potential victim’s login information, and they will have free access to the payment information, allowing them to purchase whatever they like.
The post also noted that scammers are often smarter than people think.
Most scammers won’t send the products to their house, where it can be traced back to them. Many scammers run multiple operations at once, and often times the purchases end up at the homes of other unsuspecting victims.
The department also added in the post that this exact scam happened to them, and they ended up getting one of the television sets that they use for security camera footage.
Scams of this variety happen more frequently than many people realize.
The department also included some tips for people to protect themselves from these types of scams. According to the department, people should:
■ Check credit card statements every month for any fraudulent activities
■ Store credit card information on personal electronic devices or physical mediums instead
■ Set up notifications with the online retailer where it will send an email or text every time a purchase is made.
As always, JPD encourages people to share their #FraudPreventionFriday tips to help spread knowledge and keep people safe. Also, the department is open to the public’s ideas on what it should cover in future Fraud Prevention Fridays, so people can feel free to provide ideas on the department’s posts at facebook.com/jacksonwipd.
