FBI El Paso warns of scammers taking advantage of shoppers during holidays

Holidays may be a time for giving, but law enforcement warns of scammers looking to steal and take advantage of seasonal shoppers.

"The simplest tips can save you a lot of money: verify the legitimacy of websites before providing financial or personal information; if the deal from an unknown seller looks too good to be true it just may be a scam so do your due diligence; and do not click on e-mail or text message links from unknown senders," FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey said in a statement.

The two most prevalent holiday scams are non-delivery and non-payment crimes.

In a non-delivery scam, a buyer pays for goods or services they find online, but those items are never received. A non-payment scam involves goods or services being shipped, but the seller is never paid, officials said.

Consumers are expected to start their holiday shopping earlier this year, including two-third of Americans buying online, FBI El Paso Division Special Agent Jeanette Harper said.

The reasons for consumers shopping early this year include shipping delays and computer chip shortages because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harper said.

As people rush to get limited supplies early it creates a feeding ground for scammers to target shoppers.

"Everyone's going to be trying to shop earlier so they can get that special gift, especially with the chip shortage, there's going to be a less amount of Nintendo Switch and Xbox, and everything our gamers and our families want every year," Harper said. "So we just want to be aware that (consumers) are going to legitimate websites, be aware of phishing emails that are coming out. Everybody's email boxes, including myself, are getting a plethora of emails of special sales going on now."

She added, "Just be careful with the emails that are coming out or the advertisements that you're seeing on your social media apps."

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Phishing emails sent by scammers lead to fake websites

The phishing emails will send links which the consumer will believe is taking them to a legitimate website, but is a fake website scammers are using to get personal information about the consumer, including credit card information, Harper said.

Consumers must check the link in the email before clicking to ensure it takes you to a legit retailer's website. Consumers can check online if a business is real at the Better Business Bureau's website.

It is also advised to check reviews for the business or seller.

A good rule of thumb for consumers to be suspicious of deals that are too good to be true, Harper said.

"A lot of the retailers have come out and said that there's probably not going to be those door-busting sales," Harper said. "Everything's probably going to be at the original price or maybe even a little bit higher. So just be aware if the deal seems too good to be true. If you see a $500 gaming console that's on sale for $250, just be wary. It's probably not. It's a scam."

Careful for counterfeit goods

Consumers also need to be aware of counterfeit goods sold by scammers.

"Just be wary that there might be some counterfeit brands out there," Harper said. "You can see brand names at very low prices. That can be a red flag. So we just want to steer clear of untrusting websites from social media ads."

FBI officials urge consumers not to pay with gift cards because once it is used, that money is gone and the consumer will be unable to get it back.

She added if you are buying gift cards as presents to check the gift card packaging has not been tampered with. If someone got the information on the card, once you activate it the scammers then can use the gift without you knowing.

There have been five reported cases of scams where the consumer did not receive the item they purchased in El Paso between Nov. 1 to Nov. 23, according to data from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, also known as IC3. The scams have resulted in $10,000 of losses to consumers.

There have been 298 reports resulting in more than $1.7 million in losses in the state of Texas.

Last year, El Paso received 31 reports filed totaling about $40,000 in losses between Nov. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021, IC3 data shows. The losses in each case ranged from $35 to $7,000.

Texas received 1,202 reports for more than $2.3 million in losses between Nov. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020.

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In New Mexico, consumers lost nearly $31 million to online scams in 2020, according to FBI Albuquerque Division officials said.

"The holidays are a busy time for shoppers, and unfortunately, also for thieves," FBI Albuquerque Division Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda said. "A lot of problems probably could be avoided if people remembered an important rule: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is."

A lot of cases go unreported either because of the small amount of money involved, consumers don't know how to report it, don't want to deal with reporting it since it may seem too hard to get their money back, or are embarrassed of being scammed, Harper said.

Anyone who has been scammed is asked to report the incident to the FBI's IC3 website at ic3.gov or call the or contact the FBI El Paso Division at 915-832-5000.

Victims are asked to provide as much detail as possible on the incident, including websites used to purchase the item, phone numbers, email addresses, names, how much was paid, and any receipts.

Dangers of shopping in person

The holiday season sees an increase in auto theft, violent crime and carjackings, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

NICB officials encourage shoppers to remain alert during the holidays as criminals search for unlocked vehicles to take personal belongings and shopping goods or steal the car itself.

"While people are inside stores spending several hours browsing and waiting in lines, criminals blend into crowded parking lots scanning for vehicles that have belongings or key fobs left inside," David Glawe, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, said in a statement. "Once they find one, if not already unlocked, it takes only five to 10 seconds to break a window, grab items and flee the scene without anyone even noticing."

He continued, "Even more, some will stake out desired vehicles, wait for you to return, and under the immediate threat of violence will forcibly take your vehicle. Offenders often prey on those too distracted by their cellphone and surroundings."

Tips from the organization to protect your vehicle and personal items include

• Rolling up your windows;

• Locking your doors;

• Taking the keys or fob with you;

• Parking in well-lit areas;

• Shopping bags, cellphones, purses, and other personal property out of sight.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 915-546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinezEPT on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: FBI El Paso warns of scammers taking advantage of holiday shoppers