Online shopping scams flourish on social media during pandemic

A shift toward online shopping during COVID-19, a global supply chain crisis, and a resurging economy have all created a recipe for a breakneck holiday shopping season.

The BBB says season could be one where online shopping fraud poses a tremendous risk to consumers.

Online purchase scams have skyrocketed during the pandemic, and social media ads play a key role in the mushrooming problem, a new Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) study finds.

The in-depth investigative study titled Theft on a massive scale: Online shopping fraud and the role of social media   finds the pandemic, along with lax social commerce shopping platforms, has opened the door for scammers in China to steal from desperate online shoppers.

The BBB recommends that online shoppers and all consumers exercise extreme vigilance during the holiday season and throughout the year.  Those with concerns are invited to contact the Bureau at www.bbb.org.

You can read the full study here.