News and Public Media for North Central Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Keeping online deals from becoming online duds

If you’re doing any last minute holiday shopping online, make sure the site you buy from has a reputation you can trust. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Cyber Security Analyst Kevin Wiggins says there are a number of scams that pop up every holiday season to not just take your money, but leave your holidays giftless. He says one common problem comes when consumers find the best price from a company they haven't heard of and wind up getting a product that is not what they expected.

WIGGINS2

By the time customers try to return the item the company they purchased from has disappeared. He says credit card companies offer a lot of protections against fraud, but small scams like this are hard to prosecute.

WIGGINS5

He says the easiest way to stay protected is by using websites you have heard of and trust to buy gifts online.  And if opting to shop through a small business, Wiggins says researching the company is key.

Stephanie is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org
Tom is an employee at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications.