Technology has become a permanent fixture in the education system, and if your back-to-school shopping list involves tech supplies, pay attention. Scammers are out there taking advantage of shoppers, but there are some simple things you can do to avoid becoming a victim.
“People still fall for scams all the time. They seem legitimate, and scammers are smart,” Katie Grevious, communications specialist with the Better Business Bureau, said. “It's not the very obvious methods anymore. They are crafting their ways to make it seem legitimate and to really make you have to think.”
Many people shop online, hoping to find the best deals. But be careful when making purchases through the internet.
“There's always a risk when you're shopping online,” Grevious said. “It happens all the time - people just jump on their computer, they Google ‘Apple laptop sale’ or ‘Dell laptop sale,’ and they click on the thing that looks the best. ‘Oh, cheap $30 laptop, brand new.’ That's a deal that's probably too good to be true.
"Another thing we like to tell people is check the brand’s actual website, because there are some big name brands that don't really do sales and don't offer deep discounts ever. If you're seeing $3,000 or $4,000 for a product everywhere else, but then this person is offering it for 50 bucks brand new, that's a red flag that maybe there's a little something wrong with that deal.”
It’s easy to avoid these issues by making purchases inside a physical store, rather than an online marketplace. That way, you can see the item for yourself and know that you’ll be walking out with it. In either case, Grevious said it’s best to use a credit card for your purchases.
“If you end up falling for a scam, it's easier to work with a credit card company to get that money back,” she said. “If anybody's asking for an odd type of payment like gift cards, things like that, be very weary. Those are usually scams.”
Grevious said you should also do your research on a company, especially if it’s one you’ve never heard of.
“If you're not familiar with the company that's selling the product, do a little more background on them. Give them a call if you have to. Make sure they're legitimate, they have an address, they actually exist, and check that delivery policy. How long does it take to get here? What is that refund policy?”
If you think you’ve stumbled upon a scam, you can report it online using the BBB scam tracker. You can use that same tool to research a company before making any big purchases.
Related video:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.