Police Warn of Cyber Monday Scams, Identity Theft

Cyber Monday may just be the Thanksgiving for Thieves, mouse-wielding Internet criminals who wait for deal seekers to enter their credit card information on fake shopping sites, or click to buy gift cards not even worth a lump of coal.

With Cyber Monday—the heralded online shopping day on the heels of Black Friday—and the holiday shopping season bringing experienced and newbie shoppers online and out and about, law enforcement officials are warning about possible scams and crime.

"It is incredible to me how many ways there are to steal money electronically," said San Diego Police Department Lt. James Filley, a leader on a multi-agency task force for Internet crimes.

"I tell my mother, as I would tell anybody, you don't buy things online from some Craig's List account in Indiana. You're just asking for trouble," he said.

Filley oversees the San Diego police officers on the Computer and Technology Crime High-Tech Response Team, or CATCH, the multi-agency task force which also includes the FBI and San Diego County Sheriffs Department.

The lieutenant said there are many ways for thieves to wreak financial havoc in locals' lives, especially during the holiday season.

"These crooks are very creative. In many ways, they're smarter than us because they're always one step ahead," he said.

The FBI recommends shoppers buy gift cards from the actual retailers, and not from third parties, which may sell the cards for less than face value (say a $50 gift card for $45). Many times, the gift cards won't have any value and shoppers won't know until they try to use the card.

Scammers may also set up fake shopping websites offering great deals, which dupe unsuspecting customers who think they've scored a bargain into giving up their credit card information, Filley said.

Before the cardholder knows it, the scammer—who may be in another state—has created a brand new card with their information and run up quite a tab, or wiped out their bank accounts if it was a debit card.

The lieutenant advises against using debit cards to shop online, and also warns against buying from sites that do not have a physical presence. Stores like Best Buy and Target have both websites and brick-and-mortar stores, as an example.

People also should check their accounts every day for unusual activity, he said.

"People who have had their identity stolen have had their financial lives ruined," Filley said.

Banks are working on safety measures that will make it more difficult to steal card information, such as machines that do not require swiping, but it's difficult, he said.

"The onus is really on them to develop technology to protect customers and they're doing that, but it's a big machine and it moves kind of slow," Filley said.

Moving from the Web to the real world, Filley said people have to be careful about passing off their cards to waiters at restaurants.

The best thing to do is never let your card out of your sight, Filley said, though he acknowledged that is difficult to do. Even he, while celebrating his mother's 79th birthday at Claim Jumper in La Mesa recently, handed off his card to the waiter and watched her walk away, Filley said.

Waiters have been known to head to the back of restaurants and make copies of customers' cards, he said.

And then there's the classic, not-so-high-tech way to become a victim of thieves: leaving holiday purchases visible in cars in shopping center parking lots.

Filley's advice? Don't do it.

The FBI also has information on a number of scams and crimes, with prevention tips here.

A quick sampling:

Credit Card Fraud

• Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure.
• Beware of providing credit card information when requested through unsolicited emails.

Identity Theft

• Be aware of missed bills which could indicate your account has been taken over.
• Never throw away credit card or bank statements in usable form.

Spam

• Never respond to spam as this will confirm to the sender that it is a "live" email address.
• Never purchase anything advertised through an unsolicited email.