New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued a warning to residents, urging them to be cautious of scams during the holiday shopping season. The alert comes as cybercriminals often exploit Black Friday and Cyber Monday to increase fraudulent activities targeting consumers.
"The holidays should be a joyful time for New Yorkers to connect with loved ones, support local businesses, and give back to their communities," said Attorney General James. "Unfortunately, scammers often take advantage of this time of year to ramp up their frauds. As New Yorkers begin their holiday shopping, I urge everyone to take caution to protect themselves and their personal information."
To assist consumers in safeguarding themselves against scams, Attorney General James provided several tips:
- Be cautious while shopping online by sticking to reputable retailers and verifying website URLs before entering payment details.
- Ensure that companies have an operating customer service number and list an actual street address.
- Review all charges carefully as some websites may add hefty fees around the holidays.
- Be wary of emails with subject lines like “Exclusive Holiday Deals” or “Free Gift Cards,” which are often phishing attempts.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi for online purchases; use your home network instead.
- Verify unexpected holiday e-cards or invitations before opening links or attachments.
Attorney General James also emphasized securing devices by updating Wi-Fi passwords regularly, installing the latest security updates on phones, tablets, and computers, and ensuring antivirus software is active.
After making purchases, consumers should save verifications and receipts from online retailers. If issues arise with receiving products as promised, they are advised to contact the company firmly but politely. In cases where there is no response from the company, complaints can be filed with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) either online or via phone at 1-800-771-7755.
Additionally, reviewing monthly credit card and bank statements for unauthorized charges is recommended since scam artists might exploit increased purchase activity during holidays. Any unauthorized charges should be reported promptly to credit card companies.
New Yorkers suspecting they are victims of scams are encouraged to report incidents by submitting complaints online or calling 1-800-771-7755.