Tips to protect yourself against online cons

Scammers don’t spare anyone. Here are steps you can take to stay vigilant and protect yourself from getting conned:

Watch for too-good-to-be-true deals: Who doesn’t like something for free? But beware: It might be a scam. Or you may order a product at a low price that never arrives. “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” said Parker Maertz, manager of the consumer action division of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Buy from reputable sites: It may be difficult to tell a fake website from a legitimate one. For starters, look at the web address: It should start with “https” — the “s” stands for secure. Spoof sites often use domain names that look similar to real ones but are slightly off, such as macy.com instead of macys.com.

Avoid social media advertisements: Scammers can track your buying patterns through advertisements and target you with products you’re apt to like, said Bao Vang, a vice president of the Better Business Bureau serving Minnesota and North Dakota. But an ad may send you to a fake site.

Suzanne Hyde, 60, of Eden Prairie, who recently fell for an online scam, said: “My advice is don’t ever buy anything off Facebook ads, even if it’s a place you like like L.L. Bean, Lands’ End or J.Jill. It was only $16, but I had to cancel my credit card. Make sure it’s the official website.”

Research before buying: If a website is unfamiliar, take time to search for reviews or complaints on the BBB’s Scam Tracker.

Last December, Elizabeth Staats of Minneapolis spent $70 on fleece leggings her niece wanted from an unfamiliar online retailer, but they never arrived. She emailed the company several times, which repeatedly said it didn’t have an order number even though she had an email confirmation.

Don’t click; verify: You may be tempted to click an unsolicited phishing email, text message, social media ad or pop-up ad for the perfect gift. Don’t click — even if the sender appears to be a well-known company. It may infect your device or lead to identity theft. Verify the information independently. Contact the company or person directly using information from the official website or your order confirmation, not information in the message.

Beware of unusual payment requests: Don’t wire money, buy pre-paid gift cards or use cryptocurrency to pay for purchases. Your money will disappear and the product won’t arrive.

“The method of payment is usually a pretty good indication if something is legitimate or not,” Maertz said.

Pay with a credit card: That provides extra protection at stores and online. Credit card companies let you dispute fraudulent charges or help you get a refund if there’s a problem.

That’s how Staats got her money back.