Safety Tips When Shopping on Online Marketplaces

Online marketplaces have become a popular way to save money on premium goods, but you may not understand the risks involved.

WXXV News 25’s Lucas Warren spoke with Gulfport police on how you can stay safe when shopping online.

Buying presents for the holiday season can add up fast and to save money, a lot of us turn to sites like eBay or Facebook Marketplace to find deals.

With prices much cheaper than retail, why wouldn’t you buy from these sites, but if some items look too good to be true, they probably are.

Gulfport Lt. Jason Ducre said, “It’s an opportunity for people to sell things in a legit fashion but also you have your criminals that look for opportunities so if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.”

When shopping in an online marketplace there’s a couple things to watch out for.

Firstly, you need to be careful about the item you’re purchasing. “If you’re going to purchase things via marketplace or sites like that make sure the buyer has a high trust score and if an item that’s usually $200 is $25 use your judgement before making that purchase.”

Once you’re sure the item you’re purchasing is real, now you have to be sure the person you are meeting has the right intentions. “When you’re going to pick up these items they have a lot of safe exchange zones you can go to but regardless I would be sure they had cameras and were well lit. The last thing you want to do is meet someone in an alley or sketchy place so do your research on the meetup spot and the product you’re purchasing as well.”

Hopefully these tips will help you find sales this holiday season instead of scams.