Better Business Bureau warns of online purchase scams

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Earlier this summer Bed Bath and Beyond closed its doors due to bankruptcy.

These days look inside the retailer’s location here in Reno, a simple shell remains. Before the doors closed for good, customers took advantage of heavily discounted appliances, towels, and bed linens. What may not be well known, Overstock.com acquired Bed Bath and Beyond in early August, creating a mobile app to Bed Bath and Beyond.

Not up to date on the time and acquisition of a new Bed Bath and Beyond? Scammers are counting on it. They are offering Bed Bath and Beyond merchandise at heavily discounted prices.

“That dirt cheap angle draws us in, right?” asks Timothy Johnston, with the Better Business Bureau. “I mean scammers know that. So, they go where we happen to be. We are on-line, we are on social media. So, they are serving up ads that are going to draw our attention.”

Johnston says online purchase scams are the number one complaint which come to the Better Business Bureau.

74% of those reporting say they lost money during the transaction. Johnston says typically the consumer doesn’t get the merchandise at all, or it is not as advertised.

There are typical ads put online by Overstock.com---advertising Bed Bath and Beyond products. The address is legitimate, another click, and the shopping site becomes available. Check to see if the “too good to be true” deal is available. If not, it is time to move on.

Scammers will make the URL or return address look authentic, but Johnston says look a little closer.

“Sometimes they are spelled wrong. And so, it is pretty apparent,” says Johnston. “But let’s just use a well-known bank, Wells Fargo. That lower case “l” would you notice an additional “l” and a “1″ in its place?”

Johnston says scammers know two things.

Most of us are looking for a good deal on merchandise. And many scammers watch current events so they are able to tailor their message to consumers who may know just a little about a national or local retailer going out of business.

Don’t shop on price alone he says and do more research. The Better Business Bureau also recommends shopping with a credit card as opposed to a debit card.

Credit cards offer more protections like allowing the card holder to contest purchases which came from fraudulent websites.

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