BBB Helps Moms Fend Off Scams This Mother's Day

BBB HELPS MOMS FEND OFF SCAMS THIS MOTHER’S DAY
Flowers, Cards and Gift Schemes Could Spoil the Holiday

DuPont, Wash. — May 7, 2015 — With three days until Mother’s Day, consumers are expected to spend a whopping $20 billion on flowers, jewelry, brunches and spa treatment. According to the National Retail Federation, that’s an average of $163 per mom. With so much at stake, con artists are trying to get in on the action. Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington is advising consumers to spend wisely this Mother’s Day.

BBB offers the following advice for avoiding scams:

• Do your research before sending flowers. Most of the complaints BBB receives about florists involve late or wrong deliveries, or orders that were never delivered at all. Check out BBB Business Reviews on florists before ordering.
• Order online securely. Look for signs that websites are secure. The beginning of online websites should change from http to https on payment screens, indicating that the information is encrypted. Never enter personal information in a pop-up screen.
• Read the fine print. Ask about the refund policy if the delivery is late, never arrives or is in poor condition.
• Beware of phishing electronic greeting cards. Don’t open any attachments or click on links that come from an unknown source. They could contain destructive malware disguised as warm wishes.
• Be on the lookout for fake gift cards. Scammers often use social media to post gift card “deals” at steep discounts. It ends up being a ruse to steal personal information. Use only trustworthy companies for gift card purchases.

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ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington, founded in 1918 and serving more than 9 million consumers, is one of 112 local, independent BBBs across North America. In 2014, people turned to BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington more than 5 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 264,000 local businesses and for Charity Reports on more than 1,200 local charities, all available for free at akorww.bbb.org.