By DELANIA TRIGG, Register Staff Writer
The public information report released by the police department was brief -- a Gainesville man agreed to purchase an all-terrain vehicle through an online auction site. He provided payment information to the seller including his credit card number and waited for his ATV to arrive.
Weeks later, he was still waiting.
The buyer never got his ATV and he did not hear from the seller again.
He notified the police, but there was not a lot they could do.
A recent report from the Texas Attorney General’s office notes that holiday scams such as the scheme which ensnared the Gainesville man are as popular as ever.
Attorney General Greg Abbott noted that there are five common holiday scans.
Online shopping is, for many consumers, a good alternative to crowded stores and long lines.
It also, apparently, provides ample opportunity for scams.
Texans should never respond to bulk e-mails that offer merchandise, travel deals or charitable donation solicitations, Abbott warned in a press release.
Crooks often set up fake sites that resemble the real thing, he said.
“All they do is collect credit card numbers, take the money and run,” he noted in a news release.
The holidays are also a time for giving.
Potential buyers and charitable donors should verify a Web’s site security status before placing an order.
Online buyers should also consider using credit cards which often offer fraud protection for online purchases.
Credit card use also makes it easier to dispute unauthorized charges or undelivered merchandise.
Holiday scams are not limited to cyber crime.
Other popular scams include bogus charities, gift card scams and credit repair promises.
Abbott advises buyers and potential donors to do their homework.
To find out whether or not a charity is legitimate, visit www.give.org — a Web site maintained by the Better Business Bureau.
Consumers should also be careful when buying and activating gift cards.
Scam artists sometimes write down or memorize gift card serial numbers while the cards are displayed in the store. When a buyer purchases a card, they simply call the card’s customer service number, verify that the card is active and drain the account.
“Sadly, it is often days or weeks before the legitimate buyer learns that the card balance was drained,” Abbott said.
To avoid this scam, Abbott suggests buyers request gift cards that are inaccessible to thieves such as cards stored behind store counters.
Some cards have additional security measures such as scratch off codes.
“Purchasers should always verify that no one has tampered with a card or its packaging,” he added.
Finally, most people realize the only way to build and maintain good credit is to develop a history of paying bills on time.
Still, some financially-troubled consumers turn to credit repair agencies to circumvent bad credit.
Credit repair scams only require customers to pay an upfront ìprocessing fee.î
The offer usually turns out to be some form of advance fee fraud.
“Texans should steer clear of them,” Abbott said.
