Sweetheart Shopping?

Love is in the air and you’ve most likely been exposed to an advertisement recently about buying Valentine treats or finding your own Mr. or Ms. Right. Since more and more people are turning to the Internet for special offers and to find love, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about posers – business and people pretending to be something or someone they’re not.

“It’s no surprise that internet business is booming. It’s fast, convenient and offers more choices than your local community,” said David Polino, Better Business Bureau President. “The problem is that criminals also troll the sites for consumer victims, hitting them at vulnerable moments with enticing deals and the possibility for a perfect match. Consumers need to keep their guard up and their eyes focused on the truth behind these offers.”

As the clock ticks closer to Valentines Day, pressure builds to buy and many consumers will fall for deals while browsing online. BBB has processed hundreds of consumer complaints who told us they either didn’t receive their gifts on time or where very upset with the quality of the item - stating the web site itself and the offer looked great, however the items themselves fell short of promises made.

Before you make a purchase for your sweetheart, the BBB urges consumers to know who they’re buying from. The company you feel familiar with can pop up with a similar name and be very different from the one you actually want to do business with. Consumers are encouraged to check out the company and all parties affiliated with them first at bbb.org. Understand what you’ve ordered and check to see if "extras" have been added to your cart. If any have, know the cost of those "extras" before authorizing the charge. Terms and conditions for web sites can also reveal a lot about the business and the service you can expect. It can be well worth a review before you head to the ‘check out.’

When it comes to online dating, some have found success yet the BBB receives thousands of complaints for these services every year as well, from many who lost money to someone they met on dating sites. It can be brief or span for a number of years, but in each case victims have lost money and suffered heartache along the way.

To bait the lovelorn, some criminals pose as military personnel saying they’re stationed overseas. Others may claim to have a sudden emergency, such as medical bills for a sick relative, or they claim they’re in need of cash because they’re stranded or behind on their bills. Often the ‘emergency’ occurs after weeks or months of online chit-chat, often filled with flattery that makes the victim feel as if he or she has found true love. The BBB urges anyone who uses an online dating service or answers an unsolicited romantic email to be extremely cautious before committing to meet the person, send them money, tickets or anything else of value.

BBB offers the following tips to keep you safe online:

How To Assess Web Sites:

• Look at Background. Sites should contain basic information about the company and its products and services. A phone number and physical street address for the company should be posted.
• Look for affiliations. Does the company display a seal to show affiliations with any organizations? Seals often imply credibility and you should check with these organizations in a separate search to find out what the affiliation means and what the company must do to be associated with them. If you can’t find them listed, walk away.
• Look for privacy policies. The company should tell you how they use your personal information and, if information is shared with third parties, they should respect your wish not to have it shared.
• Find out what people say about them. Ask friends who have done business with the company. Surf the Web to see what news media and other sites report about them. Check out the company's reliability report with the BBB.
• Look for special customer services. Many Web sites have features such as "virtual models" for selecting apparel, gardening libraries for buying seeds, music clips for choosing CD's, or other features that help you select products that fit your needs.
• Shop secure sites. When moving to the checkout section, make sure you see the URL in the checkout area that begins with "https:" which confirms you are shopping on a secure server. A unbroken key or locked padlock at the bottom or top of the screen can also be an indicator however these symbols can be replicated easily and are not the best form of security confirmation. 
• Pay by credit card. Consumers have all of the same protections shopping online as they have when shopping in retail stores or catalogs. You'll be covered under the Fair Credit Billing Act in the event of non-delivery or fraud.

How To Access Online Services:

• Check out Background Policies. Find out whether the dating service does any background checks or fraud scans before a person’s profile is posted.
• Take it Slow. Be cautious if a person immediately asks you to communicate on an email or messaging system outside the dating site. Some dating sites monitor exchanges for signs of fraud, and a fraudster may be anxious to lure you away from the site.
• Do a Google search. You can search a name or paste the text of an email, profile description, or pictures into Google and search to see if similar text, pictures or descriptions are used by others. Some criminals create multiple profiles and use the same information over and over.
• Be suspicious. If the person hints that they are in financial trouble or have another sudden need for money you could be in trouble. If the person asks you to wire money—such as by Western Union, MoneyGram or Green Dot MoneyPak—it more than likely is a scam.
• Take a Friend. If you decide to meet the person, consider taking a friend along and go to a place where there are large numbers of people and where you feel safe.