{"id":14278,"date":"2023-10-10T11:03:39","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T18:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/blog\/?p=14278"},"modified":"2023-09-27T16:09:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T23:09:43","slug":"record-online-shopping-scams-expected-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.socialcatfish.cloud\/scamfish\/record-online-shopping-scams-expected-this-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Record Online Shopping Scams Expected This Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

American consumers should be on alert for online shopping scams<\/a> as we enter our second holiday season in the global pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/pexels-photomix-company-230544-1.jpg” panorama=”off” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

A record\u00a0$207 billion<\/a>\u00a0is expected to be spent by online shoppers this holiday season as more consumers opt to shop from home to avoid crowds in stores. At the same time, COVID-19 led to a record\u00a0$4.2 billion<\/a> loss to online scammers last year<\/a> with people spending more time online than ever before.<\/p>\n\n

Amidst existing record fraud, there are myriad factors expected to create widespread havoc and worsen the situation over the final months of 2021.<\/p>\n\n

This includes\u00a0global supply chain<\/a> issues as mail carriers, retailers, and government officials warn consumers that delivery times will be difficult to estimate.\u00a0 These supply chain shortages<\/a> will make it harder for consumers to know if they are being scammed<\/a> or if their purchase is simply stuck at a port.<\/p>\n\n

They also caution to start shopping early<\/a> as many products will have low availability and go out of stock quickly. Scammers, who grow savvier by the day, will no doubt monitor which products are in-demand and unavailable and create fake online stores<\/a> and websites offering unavailable products to desperate consumers.<\/p>\n\n

Although Amazon<\/a> has one of the best reputations any business can ask for, the rise of Amazon<\/a> and deliveries had led to a surge in package theft.\u00a0 This is when \u2018porch pirates\u2019 steal packages from outside homes or from mailrooms in apartment complexes. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/pexels-anna-shvets-4482896.jpg” panorama=”off” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

ONLINE SHOPPING WAS THE NO. 1 MOST COMMON TYPE OF SCAM DURING COVID-19<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As it became clear that online scams<\/a> were skyrocketing due to the pandemic, the Federal Trade Commission began reporting on it in real-time.\u00a0As of Nov. 16, the\u00a0FTC found online shopping is the\u00a0No. 1 most common<\/a>\u00a0scam\u00a0with 57,769 complaints nationally. Online shopping<\/a> is also the most common type of scam in 48 of 50 states except for Maine and Massachusetts.<\/p>\n\n

As of Oct. 22, the FTC<\/a> reports that online shopping is the No. 1 most common type of scam related to COVID-19<\/a> with 57,769 complaints nationally. Online shopping is also the most common type of scam in 48 of 50 states except for Maine and Massachusetts.<\/p>\n