With only a few days left in the holiday shopping season, Attorney General Kwame Raoul is reminding Illinoisans to take precautions when shopping for or selling items online. Raoul is warning that scammers may use fake websites, fake mobile apps and fake social media advertisements to trick consumers into giving up their personal information and paying for products that will either never be delivered or cost more than they are worth. In particular, Raoul is reminding buyers to be careful when using peer-to-peer (“P2P”) payment methods, like Zelle, PayPal, Venmo and Cash App, with people they don’t know, since P2P transactions do not offer the same level of protection as traditional credit cards. Here are a few tips to consumers to shop smart, sell smart and avoid scammers this holiday season:  

Avoid fake websites. Fraudulent websites may look like the real thing and may even have a similar website address. Double-check that you have typed in the right website address and check that phone numbers and addresses listed on the website are genuine in case you have questions or problems.

Be careful clicking links that were sent to your email or phone from suspicious or unfamiliar e-mail addresses. Never give a third-party remote access to your computer or download a company’s software just to make a purchase. These may be “phishing” or “smishing” scams to trick you into going to a fake website or installing a virus on your device.

Be knowledgeable about Drop-Shippers. Drop-Shippers don’t own their inventory and only act as middle-man between you and a manufacturer. Dishonest Drop-Shippers may try to trick you into believing they are the manufacturer, charge you extra fees, or deliver you counterfeit goods or poor quality goods – if they deliver anything at all.

Pay for online purchases with a credit card. Transactions paid with a credit card are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act, generally limiting your liability for fraudulent charges. Paying by debit card, prepaid cards, gift cards and cash do not offer the same safeguards. No matter what payment you use, make sure you’re paying attention to high interest rates, calendaring payment dates, and sticking to a budget to stay out of debt.

Sign up for free fraud alerts from your bank or credit card.

Use different usernames and passwords for all your accounts, keeping the password in a secure place and changing the password every 6 months.