PADUCAH — While you’re shopping online this holiday season, remember the famous phrase, ‘checking it twice,’ in reference to double-checking the sites you’re shopping at. This time of the year, scammers prey on consumers buying online. Last year, consumers reported losing nearly $9 billion to fraud, according to the Federal Trade Commission. That’s a 30% increase from 2021.

When it comes to the different ways people get scammed, the most common way is an imposter scam, according to the FTC. An imposter scam is basically when a scammer lies about who they are to get your money. The second most common scam involves fake websites, which are also a risk this time of year. On the WPSD Facebook page we asked viewers if they had fallen victim to these scams. Several said yes.

Brittany Bailey expressed that she was scammed by a fake Bath and Body Works website. Once the money was taken out of her account, she never received her order, and there was no tracking number or way to contact them. Christina Hammons also expressed a similar experience online. She said she bought a discounted Thor’s hammer tool box set as a present for her father through a company she found on TikTok. She says the company ended up charging her twice, and she still hasn’t gotten what she ordered.

Sergeant Jason Hicks with the Paducah Police Department says there are things you can do to protect yourself from scams like these. “For less-known websites or less-known companies, before you make that purchase, you can do a little bit of online research. You can go to the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission’s website, or the FBI’s website and read reviews that other people have written about this company,” he said.

Hicks also says you should be careful when using certain platforms to buy goods, like Facebook Marketplace and eBay.

Scammers can use those sites to take your money.

At the McCracken County Library in Paducah, Emily Steele teaches classes on digital literacy. She says many scam websites give off hints that they’re not legit. “One easy thing to look for is at the top of the page in the address bar. There will be a little symbol by the address or the URL, and it will look like a little padlock, and that means that’s a safe site,” she said.

She wants to continue to help people protect themselves. “I do. I always wanted to do something; I thought it would be helpful,” she said.

Steele also says to look out for misspellings in the company name or URL; that can also be a huge giveaway.

Google can also be your friend. If you suspect you’re on a fake site, search for the store you’re shopping at. If the two websites look different, you’re probably on a scam site.