Most people think that Black Friday is the biggest shopping day, but increased online sales around the holidays have pushed Cyber Monday to the number one shopping day of the year. With increased online shopping comes more online scams, though, and it is important to protect your finances from holiday scammers. Members of our legal subscription plans can speak with an experienced consumer finance attorney any time about  concerns with online scams and hundreds of other personal legal matters at no additional fee. In the meantime, here are a few tips to protect yourself while online shopping this holiday season:

Beware of Too-Good-To-Be-True Pricing

When you come across items that have been greatly discounted, make sure to check the reviews on the site you're shopping to make sure you're not buying damaged or discounted products. Scammers often set up dummy web sites, auction listings, and advertisements on social media that look like amazing deals on brand name products, and then never deliver items sold. These kinds of scams kick into high gear around the holiday shopping season.

Make Sure To Read The Retailer's Return Policy

Disputes most often happen around return or refund policies, so making sure to read through and understand the store's policies and procedures for returns and refunds will likely save you a headache later on if you need to avail yourself of those services. Some companies have high restocking fees, and some discontinued items, or items on sale or clearance may not be eligible for returns or refunds. Customers are sometimes also responsible for return shipping fees. A reputable company will spell these terms out to you somewhere on their site.

Keep Tabs On Your Bank Account

Busy holiday shopping season is prime time for hackers who hack into retailer web sites and steal customer data, so it's important that you check your bank account frequently and be on the lookout for fraudulent charges, especially this time of the year. When spending increases around the holidays, it is easy to overlook charges, so saving receipts and checking them with your bank register can give you peace of mind. If you notice any irregularities, contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately.

Stick To Trusted Retailers

Double check domain names in your browser to make sure that you are on the correct web site. Emails or online advertising that appears to come from legitimate, trusted retailers can be scams that direct you to sites meant to steal your data or credit card information. The domain name at the top of your browser window should have an https:// at the beginning of the domain name; the "s" tells you that you are on a secure site. Make sure to use unique passwords for online retailers.

Check Out Seller Ratings

Negative feedback from previous customers can often tell you a lot about a seller. Marketplace and auction web sites that allow individual sellers to market their products to a wide audience often have features where customers can rate and review sellers, and these are a good source of information when making a decision to purchase from a seller you aren't familiar with. Be cautious before making a purchase from a seller with poor ratings or bad reviews; read the reviews and decide if you're willing to risk it.

Secure Your Payment Information

Scams abound online, and a common one is to get buyers to pay for items with wire transfers, money orders, gift cards, or cash. Never make payments online via any of these methods as none of them offer any tracking or protection if the transaction turns out to be a scam. Insist on more secure payment options, and consider protecting your credit or debit card information by using a third-party payment service that doesn't reveal your payment information to the seller. Almost all payment processing services offer some kind of buyer protection.

Shopping online any time should be a fun, safe experience, and, with a little forethought, always can be. When scams increase around the holidays, it's important to look out for yourself a little harder to make sure you don't become the victim of a scam or identity theft scheme. Members of our legal subscription plans can talk to experienced, dedicated, consumer finance and identity theft attorneys at any time, and it is included in your monthly fee. Learn more about this essential benefit, or sign up for legal protection today!