A new digital toolkit was launched this week to help consumers avoid scams while holiday shopping online.
The toolkit was developed by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center). It is designed to help consumers protect themselves from online scams while they conduct their holiday shopping, according to a press release by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“For most, the holidays represent a season of goodwill and giving, but for criminals, it’s the season to lure in unsuspecting holiday shoppers,” said IPR Center Director Matt Allen.
The IPR Center partnered with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs & Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Toy Association to make the toolkit possible, according to the release. In it, shoppers can find helpful information regarding the do’s and don'ts for online shopping during the holiday season, which can be useful to those who are unfamiliar with online shopping or choosing to do most of their holiday shopping online due to the pandemic.
The toolkit also includes general information that can educate consumers on how to stay safe while buying their holiday gifts in order to protect their identities and bank information, according to Just The Real News.
“Everyone can help identify and thwart counterfeiters, and this year, we encourage the public to use our holiday shopping toolkit to avoid becoming a scammer’s next victim,” said Carlton Peeples, acting deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
