Hottest scams on Cyber Monday
HOUSTON - Shoppers are snapping up deals this Cyber Monday, but scams seem to be growing as fast as the sales.
The Better Business Bureau says the biggest scams are text messages that appear to be from well-known stores offering free products, discounts, or gift cards if you fill out a survey. But fill it out, and you're giving the scammers your personal information.
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Other big scams are phishing emails asking you to click on links to a deal, fake store websites, and fake deals and prizes offered by social media.
Before you buy, look for https and the closed padlock on the URL. That means transactions are encrypted.
You can also use payment systems, such as PayPal or Facebook's Purchase Protection, so you don't have to give your credit card directly to the seller.
"Thinking about things like that, Do I actually want this business to store my credit card information moving forward? Or do I just want to use it for the one-time purchase?" said Meta's Lori Moylan.
Some of the hottest deals today include electronics, kitchen appliances, vacuums, and a Hulu monthly subscription.
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Cyber Monday is expected to be the biggest shopping day of the year, but analysts are lowering projections because people snapped up deals offered earlier this season.