Floridians,

During the 2018 holiday season, online shopping scams are projected to increase by 14 percent. When shopping online it is important to be on the lookout for anything that does not look legitimate. Scam artists are coming up with new and creative ways to steal your money online. While we all enjoy the convenience of online and mobile shopping, it’s important to shop smart. Be alert and verify before you click to buy.

One way to protect yourself from online scammers is to avoid shopping on public WiFi. While convenient, it is unencrypted and unsecured. Only shop on sites that are secure by looking for an “s” in the URL of the website. The address will begin with "https://", the indication that your session is secure. If you receive an email or text message from an unknown sender, do not click on the links. Verify before you click buy. Take simple steps like hovering over the sender name to see what the actual sender's email address is.

It is important to remember no matter how authentic an email or a link appears, do not open or click on any links until you do the appropriate research.

Enjoy your holiday shopping safely.

Sincerely,

Legal Notices | Florida Department of Financial Services © 2012