By Andrea Calcagno
November 24, 2009
MEDFORD, Ore. - Oregon Attorney General John Kroger is warning holiday shoppers about online threats.
Since January, the Oregon Department of Justice has received approximately 600 consumer complaints about online retailers. They say it's important to make sure websites are secure before making a purchase.
Vivian Nguyen made online purchases while using a neighbor's unsecured wireless internet connection.
"About two-three weeks later, I don't know who was it, got in my information from my card and made a lot of purchases online that I didn't even know or expect," Nguyen said.
Nguyen noticed profits from her business, 10 Perfect Nails, were not adding up correctly.
"I was wondering 'why isn't my money going up it keep like staying the same or negative?' So I was wondering why," Nguyen said.
Police say unsecured wireless networks enable scammers to access other people's internet activity.
"One he did for $174 dollars. One he did for like $70. He did some US search for $1.99. I mean a lot of things, he tried to book an airline ticket to Vegas," Nguyen said.
Police also warn against unsecured consumer websites.
"If you don't go through like Amazon or eBay, if your looking at a company website make sure that they have physical address and phone number so you can return the product if you need to," Medford Police Detective Scott Clauson said.
Another way to recognize a secure site is looking for an "s" after the 'http' in the address box during the checkout process. The department of justice recommends updating anti-virus software before making large purchases online, keep a paper trail of all online transactions, and never send cash or wire money for payments.
These scams are common on sites like Craigslist. A buyer will send a forged check for a product written for more than the amount posted. The buyer will then ask for the seller to wire the extra money back.
"People will wire that money back, they'll get it, and then once they deposit the check they find that it doesn't clear, its a forged check," Clauson said.
The Department of Justice also suggests researching product prices. A low online price may be too good to be true.
