According to the company Social Catfish, which prevents online scams, Americans can expect an unprecedented number of online scams in 2022. Americans will spend an incredible estimated $209.7 billion on online purchases with a record of $394 million lost to online shopping scams. Online shopping has grown leaps and bounds from $124 billion in 2018 to $209 billion in 2022

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New Jersey ranks 18th in the country of reported scams with 74.1 complaints for every 100,000 consumers. There are many In New Jersey who don’t report being scammed because of embarrassment. Most consumers brush it off and say being scammed or phished is only an elderly person problem, it’s a sweeping problem affecting millennials through seniors with most millennials here in New Jersey never reporting their online scam. There are many scams to avoid but here are the ones that are most prominent and affect us every day. Fake scams to avoid are:

Fake Deals on Gaming Cards

All kids and some adults love the gaming cards, scammers prey on that excitement and passion and offer deals that are too good to be true. They aren’t true, they’ll take the money, usually at a reduced cost than the published reliable source and you’ll be lucky to get any product mostly broken or over used for play. Buy your gaming cards from a reliable gaming site or retailer.

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$100 Gift Card for $50 Cost

Don’t even acknowledge or consider that deal. It’s not a deal. If you give me $100 and I give you $50 back and say that we are even, that’s not a deal. Don’t consider it.

Holiday Puppy Scam

It’s getting late in the holiday season and you think ok, I’m finally going to get a puppy for the kids for the holidays. You see an awesome deal on line, it asks you to transfer some funds and they will get the puppy to you in time for the holidays. You transfer the funds and the puppy never shows up. Get a puppy at a rescue, or reputable place where you can see hold and feel the puppy and know that the puppy has been given the proper medical attention. Then you give the money and get the puppy that minute, you and the kids will be much happier.

UPS COVID vaccine shipment delays 2021
ARCHIVE: DEC. 13, 2020: Boxes containing the first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are unloaded from air shipping containers at UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky. Each box contains dry ice and a GPS tracker. (Michael Clevenger - Pool/Getty Images)
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Fake Shipping Method

This one is a tough one. If you’re like me you order many boxes and get the notifications that they are on the way. Scammers know that we have packages on the way so that they send fake tracking info and ask you to “click here” and once you do that gives them access to your info. It’s not a bad idea to write order numbers down and when you see the info match everything up. Go right to the delivery service website and check the package status. Be careful of this one.

Social Media Sales

There are many scammers phishing on the Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter and other social media. They offer “incredible deals”. Many have even gone to the trouble of setting up fake websites don’t fall for them, stick with the reputable outlets and sources that you know are legit.

Good luck with your holiday shopping, be diligent and smart when making any purchase online, let’s get that Jersey number down. Happy shopping!

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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