Hawley warns consumers of potential scams during holiday season

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley released tips on Wednesday to help protect consumers during the holiday season.

“We want to ensure that consumers get their deals as promised,” Hawley said. “Consumers need to do their research, be well prepared, and avoid being taken advantage of by scammers who prey upon people during this time of year.”

Hawley said for consumers to:

-Bring paper or electronic copies of special advertising to the stores.

-Research merchants before shopping.

-Make sure to understand return and exchange policies.

-Be on the lookout for advertisements aimed to draw consumers in and push them towards more expensive items.

-Make online purchases with a credit card.

-Beware of emails pretending to be from business with links to package tracking information.

Hawley said his office recommends online shoppers take precautions to ensure transactions are secure.

Hawley also said before entering credit card information online, make sure that an “https” precedes the website in the browser address bar.

Hawley asks if anyone suspects deceptive advertising or other unfair business practices, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer protection hotline at 800-392-8222.