Tips for spotting holiday shopping scams

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee, released an alert warning consumers about Black Friday and Cyber Monday scams. The report details the heightened risk of scams that consumers face during the holiday shopping season — last year, phishing emails mimicking major U.S. retail brands like Walmart and Target surged by more than 2,000 percent during the holiday season. The report also provides tips for consumers to protect themselves from common online shopping scams.

“If your inbox is anything like mine, each holiday season brings an ever-growing flood of emails promising huge discounts and exclusive deals,” said Hassan. “While some of those deals may be legitimate, many are sent by scammers trying to steal the money that you’ve saved up to buy gifts for loved ones. I encourage people to follow the guidance in this report, share it with your friends and family, and ensure that your holiday spending doesn’t end up swept away in the flood of Black Friday fraud.”