With the spike in COVID cases and the upcoming holiday season, consumer groups are warning Michiganders that a proliferation of scam artists is emerging.<\/p>\n
Mark Hornbeck, associate state director for communications at\u00a0AARP Michigan, said folks should be on the lookout for the typical cons related to shopping, including bogus websites impersonating major brands, gift cards that already have been drained of their funds and porch pirates who steal packages. He said the pandemic also has fostered a huge number of scams.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got folks calling you about bogus home-testing products for COVID,\u201d Hornbeck explained. \u201cThey\u2019re peddling non-existent equipment like masks and ventilators and that type of thing; they\u2019re offering additional stimulus checks. Don\u2019t believe it. It\u2019s not happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
With nearly half of all charity donations made during November and December, Hornbeck noted that\u2019s another area ripe for fraud.<\/p>\n
Before opening your wallet, he suggests researching the charity to find out where the contribution will be going. Learn more about how to protect yourself from scams online at\u00a0aarp.org\/fraudwatchnetwork.<\/p>\n
Hornbeck added during times of high anxiety, like the holidays, scam artists often are able to trap their victims by getting them into an emotional frenzy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey try to scare you,\u201d Hornbeck warned. \u201cAnd when you\u2019re in a heightened emotional state, your self-discipline and your due diligence are reduced and you\u2019re more susceptible to the scam artists than you would be otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hornbeck recommends avoiding impulse purchases, and not buying anything late at night when people are most vulnerable. And he said never buy something without first looking into who\u2019s selling it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can take just a single step like a phone call or a Google search to check out a company that\u2019s trying to sell you something,\u201d Hornbeck suggested. \u201cBeware of popups that appear on your computer, and don\u2019t give anyone, under any circumstances remote access to your computer. And use a credit card, not a debit card, for purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said another good step before making a purchase is to consult a friend, family member or agency that monitors businesses and charities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the spike in COVID cases and the upcoming holiday season, consumer groups are warning Michiganders that a…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2963,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n