San Juan Capistrano Warned Of Holiday Shopping, Charity Scams

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — FBI officials Wednesday reminded holiday shoppers and nonprofit donors in San Juan Capistrano to be careful where they click to avoid scams designed to steal money and personal information.

According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, Californians lost more than $573,624,151 due to a variety of cyber scams last year alone.

Scammers largely count on people believing in the offers made in pop- up ads or phishing emails, but experts say: Don't fall for it — if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Charity-related fraud also increases during the holiday season, they said. Scammers try to take advantage of those wishing to make end-of-the-year donations.

Doing a little research will make sure donations support legitimate charities, officials said. Beware of organizations with copycat names similar to genuine charities; most reputable charity websites use .org, not .com, website addresses.

FBI officials advised buying directly from secure and reputable websites and to beware of social media posts appearing to offer special vouchers or gift cards or meager prices.

It is also wise to verify the legitimacy of buyers or sellers before making a purchase.
The agency also encourages people to track orders through original confirmation emails.

Before giving to a charity, they said it's important to keep in mind that legitimate charities do not solicit donations via money transfer services. Donations should be made through a credit card or check, not cash, and sent directly to the source -- never through a third party. If unfamiliar with a charity, search its name to see if fraud has been reported.

Consumers also should check credit card and bank statements regularly to make sure no fraudulent charges show up, experts said. If you suspect you've been victimized, contact your financial institution immediately upon suspecting or discovering a fraud, and contact local law enforcement.

Complaints can be filed with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.