RELATED: Never Use This One Card to Pay for Holiday Gifts, FBI Says. During the holiday season, many people eager to avoid crowded big box stores and support local vendors are likely to turn to their local holiday market for presents. And with concerns about the Omicron COVID variant on the rise, many events that were once held in person are being hosted online for another year. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), this has made online holiday markets a potentially lucrative opportunity for vendors and scammers alike. That’s why the BBB is now advising that if you’re invited to a once-free online holiday market that is now charging for admission, you should decline—at least until you can confirm with organizers that it’s a legitimate event. For the latest personal safety news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter! The BBB warns that, in some cases, scammers will use the same name or details from a past holiday event in their own event listing. When you click on the page to register for the event, you’ll be asked to provide your personal information, often including your financial details to pay for the supposed event ticket. Unfortunately, there is no ticket, nor is there an event—and those details are being submitted to the individuals perpetrating the con. In other cases, what appears to be a link to a ticket page will actually download malware onto your computer. After confirming that the event’s organizers are who they say they are—something that can be accomplished by contacting the brand hosting the event via their official website or social media pages—the BBB recommends doing additional research before buying a ticket. Confirming the identities of the individual brands who will be selling their wares at the event can also help you avoid delivering your information to scammers. “If you are unsure if a shop is legitimate do an online search for that vendor’s store rather than follow the link provided,” the BBB recommends. While verifying the identities of the event’s organizers and vendors is a good start, there are additional ways to protect yourself.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb The BBB recommends using a credit card to make any payments at an online holiday market, inquiring about the vendor’s return policy before purchasing any goods, and keeping your receipts if you do choose to make a purchase so that you can contact—or report—them if the need arises. RELATED: If You Get This Message from Your Bank, Contact Authorities, FBI Says.
