How to avoid scams while holiday shopping online: Tips from Colorado Springs police
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The holidays are here – and for many of us, that means turning to online shopping to look for the best deals on Christmas presents to stay within budget.
But with online shopping comes online scams... and Colorado Springs police say it's easier than ever to create a fake website that looks completely legitimate.
Here are a few red flags that the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is telling shoppers to watch out for this holiday season:
1. Watch for unusually low prices.
Colorado Springs police say sites offering everything at huge blanket discounts (deals like "Everything Under $10") may be scams. If every item is on sale, it's a good idea to take a closer look before purchasing.
2. Question product photos that look out of place.
High-end outfits or luxury-looking items being sold alongside cheap products are often a good indication that the product images are stolen or AI-generated images. CSPD says to be cautious if a product seems too good or is inconsistent with the rest of the site.
3. Verify images with reverse-image search.
If a product photo looks suspicious, police advise using a reverse-image search. If it appears on multiple unrelated sites or known scam pages, avoid buying the product.
4. Check independent reviews.
Don’t just trust reviews on the website itself; they can easily be faked or selectively displayed. Instead, CSPD recommends looking for reviews on third-party sources and watching for sites showing only five-star ratings or reviews with no other photos or details.
5. Confirm customer service and contact info.
Always check the return policy and available contact methods before buying from a site. Sites with only a generic email and no phone number or physical address are red flags. Poor or nonexistent customer service makes resolving issues difficult, if not impossible.
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