Murrysville consumer advocate: Don't get scammed during your holiday shopping

Last year, during the open enrollment period for Medicare, Mary Bach of Murrysville began receiving calls morning, noon and night about how she and her husband weren’t getting all of the benefits to which they were entitled.

Bach, who is a nationally recognized consumer advocate and member of the AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force and the state Public Utility Commission’s Consumer Advisory Council, immediately was suspicious.

“Medicare does not call you directly, ever,” she said. “Plus, we are on the do-not-call list. But they called incessantly, and I was infuriated by it.”

Bach began taking down as much information as the soliciting callers would provide, and, even though she presumed the number on her caller ID was phony, she wrote it down, as well, filing a complaint on every call over a three-month period.

A few months later, she received an email from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office saying it had been able to successfully penalize and fine one of the companies. The office also sent her a check for $100.

Bach being Bach, she made sure to scrutinize the check carefully before cashing it.

“Turns out, it does pay to complain!” she said.

Bach always is on the lookout for scammers and wants consumers to do the same, especially this time of year.

“Scams happen all year round, but some of them really ramp up during the Christmas season because so many people are shopping much more extensively online,” she said. “Hot items in limited supply means that parents and grandparents are looking everywhere for them. And scammers know how to play the game and lure people in.”

In 2022, more than 800,000 people filed complaints with the FBI about online scams resulting in more than $10 billion in losses, according to AAA’s East Central office.

Bach said one of the most pervasive examples is a fake shipping notice.

“People who order items online will receive a fake shipping notice asking them to click a link in an email or text,” she said. “And they can end up with malware on their phone or computer.”

Bach said anyone receiving such an email should go directly to the site where they ordered an item to track its progress and never click on a link in an email, even if it appears to be coming from the correct company.

“Consumers need to do our due diligence,” Bach said. “Sometimes people get so caught up in the moment that they have a tendency to be a little sloppy in our actions.”

A recent AARP survey showed nearly 70% of respondents plan to pay for holiday gifts with a debit card. That’s a mistake, according to Lt. Adam Reed, communications director for the Pennsylvania State Police.

“If your card is compromised and the thief goes on a spending spree, that money comes directly out of your account,” Reed said. “With a credit card, that money comes from the credit that the company is extending to you.”

Sarah Frasch, director for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said scammers often try to trick people into granting them access to gift cards.

“You’ll get a call from someone claiming to be the Social Security Administration or IRS or another government agency,” Frasch said. “They claim your account has been suspended and you need to pay some sort of fee to correct the problem, and can do so by paying with a gift card.”

No government agency accepts gifts cards as payment, Frasch said during a Nov. 15 tele-town hall hosted by AARP and Bach.

Some scammers will change one letter or one word in a legitimate charity’s name and send spoof emails soliciting donations, she said. Others will send an email saying they tried to deliver a package but were unsuccessful, and ask for personal information.

Legitimate companies do not do that, Bach said. If someone orders from Amazon, the company already has all of the necessary personal information to deliver a package.

“Do not click on a link or call a telephone number that comes to you in one of these emails or texts,” she said. “Go independently to the original website you dealt with, and put in the original tracking number you received. More than likely, there’s nothing wrong with your package or its delivery.”

Bach will appear on the Pennsylvania Cable Network’s “Focus on Aging Adults” program at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 20 to discuss protecting against scams.

Consumer fraud can be reported to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, as well as to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov.