Watch out for scammers on Cyber Monday
Posted November 28, 2013 10:16 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – While Black Friday is becoming one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Cyber Monday is also gaining in popularity.
But with more online shoppers, more unsecured websites are being set up for scams and identity theft.
“One of the biggest things is to deal with retailers that are reputable, you’ve dealt with before,” says Blair Mantin with Sands & Associates. “Things that just seem to pop up for Cyber Monday… that’s usually a bit of a warning sign. You want to deal with well-established retailers.”
He also tells us you need understand the true costs.
“Individuals tell me that they got surprises of up to 25 to 35 per cent of the cost of what they had anticipated spending. There was an overage because of things like customs fees and brokerage fees.”
Mantin tells us Cyber Monday has surpassed Black Friday’s retail sales in recent years in the US, nearing $2-billion worth of online purchases, a 17 per cent increase since 2011. He adds 44 per cent of Canadians plan to take advantage of sales offered online by US retailers.
Mantin suggests giving yourself an allowance so you don’t overspend, noting some deals require you to spend a minimum amount to get free shipping, which may lead to you spending more money on things you don’t need.
