BUFFALO, N.Y. — Black Friday is almost here, and holiday shopping is already underway.
The Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York wants you to be mindful when shopping online. The BBB recently published a study tracking scams, and it found a 125 percent increase in scam reports in the last year.
Experts say that while online shopping is popular and convenient, shoppers need to be mindful of the websites they give financial information to.
"Always read reviews, and you can also do that on BBB.org. We have thousands of business profiles where you can look up reviews, ratings, and complaints that can exist against a particular company," Katarina Schmieder, the communications director for BBB, told 2 On Your Side.
Experts also suggest people to use credit cards when buying online, if possible, as most companies have resources to help you get your money back if you do experience fraud.
"The increase is largely in part due to fake advertisements on social media," Schmieder said. "It could be anything from TikTok to Instagrams to pop-up shops that offer products at low prices. I say this all the time but it's worth repeating: If a deal sounds too good to be true it most likely is."
Schmieder also warned of scam texts claiming to be shipping companies that need additional funds for deliveries.