Beware while on Facebook Marketplace

The holidays are getting close and many of us are looking for those last minute deals.

One place people are turning to is Facebook Marketplace, but beware, because scammers are lurking. The spike in online shopping has unfortunately led many victims right to the criminals who offer deals too good to pass up.

This fall, the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline received a high volume of calls from people losing money to scams on Facebook Marketplace.

Here are some tips to avoid online sales scams. Before making that purchase, research what similar items are selling for elsewhere; the greater the deal the greater the likelihood that it could be a scam.

Buy local versus having something shipped, and arrange to meet in a public space.

Pay cash - if asked to pay by a payment application, wire transfer or gift card, refuse.

Finally, if you need to get an item shipped, use a credit card which has fraud protections.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

Gift card scams

According to a recent AARP survey, more than two-thirds of U.S. consumers will purchase a gift card for someone this holiday season. While these gifts are easy to give and popular to get, they are also open to fraud.

The same survey found one in three people have either given or received a gift card with no funds on it.

Remember these tips whenever buying gift cards.

If buying from a store rack, inspect the card before purchase to make sure the packaging hasn’t been tampered with and the code hasn’t been revealed. Better yet, buy gift cards online directly from the retailer, restaurant or other issuer. Be wary of buying from gift card resellers - if you do, make sure they offer a guarantee.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.

Make your home cyber secure

With nine in 10 U.S. adults online these days for work, finances, shopping or entertainment, criminals have many opportunities to steal money or sensitive personal information. When you factor in the many devices in our homes linked to the internet - computers, gaming systems, TVs, smartphones - the opportunities grow.

To keep your home network safe from criminals, follow these three home security rules. Keep the operating systems, web browsers and security software on all of your connected devices updated. If your internet router has the same name and password it came with, change both. And engage your firewall - your operating system or antivirus software should come with a firewall that guards your system from uninvited sources; make sure yours is turned on. Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.

Peer-to-peer payment apps

In the time of COVID-19, peer-to-peer payment apps have become more popular than ever.

According to a recent AARP survey on online holiday shopping, more than half of U.S. adults plan to use a peer-to-peer payment app for gift purchases. It’s important to know that some apps are safer than others.

PayPal, for example, is set up for users to make purchases with businesses where it’s offered. But other popular payment apps like Venmo, Zelle and Cash App, are intended for use among friends and family - to split a dinner bill or pay the babysitter. Fraud losses using these apps to pay for a product that never comes are generally not recoverable.

To protect your assets remember the old fashioned ways of using cash or a credit card, which comes with fraud protections, are still your best bets.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.

Fact Tracker tells truth from fiction

Do you believe everything you see online? The obvious answer is no, but there are plenty of sensationalized headlines, misleading stories and even complete falsehoods circulating on the internet, making it hard for even the most discerning reader to sort fact from fiction.

Disinformation online is a key tool for scammers. Luckily AARP has a new online resource to arm you with the skills to decipher what’s real and what isn’t on the web. Visit aarp.org/facttracker for interactive tools and resources to help you sort out fact and fiction online.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.