With Thanksgiving just a week away and the holiday season fast approaching, police are warning residents looking to check items off their shopping lists to remain wary of potential scams, especially when it comes to buying and selling items via e-commerce. I am doing it.
Law enforcement officials say this donation season is also when many sophisticated scammers emerge and try to pounce on unsuspecting online shoppers.
KTLA’s David Lazarus, host of “Consumer Confidential,” predicts that people will spend about $240 billion online during the holidays this year, an 8% increase from last year.
He said shoppers should always enter the store with their eyes open when using credit cards or personal information.
“Look at the little URL at the top that says ‘http,'” Lazarus explained. “What you want to make sure is ‘https’. This means a secure connection is established and no one is looking over your shoulder while you make a transaction.”
Online Marketplace in this undated file photo. (KTLA)
Los Angeles Police Department officials are also urging residents to stay safe, especially concerned about new crime trends in e-commerce, where people agree to meet to buy and sell items from popular sites like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. .
Officials say the gathering could easily become an opportunity for theft.
“Some robbery victims have been told to meet in unfamiliar areas or locations and had property or money taken from them,” said Los Angeles Police Department Commander Ryan Whiteman.
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In one of the ongoing investigations, the Los Angeles Police Department said the suspect used a fake list on an iPhone to lure the victim into a meeting, then threatened her with a knife and stole her property.
Police say such incidents have occurred at least seven times in the Los Angeles area over the past four months. They added that it was likely happening more frequently and not being reported.
“A lot of times it’s difficult,” online shopper Melinda Hernandez told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff. “Especially as a woman, I feel that safety is a top priority, so I always bring my boyfriend or a male friend with me.”
She added that while it’s still important to take precautions, e-commerce meetups are mostly going off without a hitch.
The Los Angeles Police Department agrees, saying car and residential robberies are on the rise this time of year because people buy more items and these can be visible in cars and out the windows of homes. said.
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