Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Wednesday announced her office is launching a holiday consumer protection campaign.
The goal of the initiative is to protect consumers’ information while shopping in person or online throughout the holiday season.
Nessel’s campaign will educate Michiganders each day throughout the middle of December.
“The holidays fly by every single year,” Nessel said. “And while everyone is focused on celebrating their traditions and checking off those gift lists, it’s imperative we all keep in mind ways to protect our personal and bank information from bad actors.”
In addition to instructions on how to file a consumer complaint, Nessel outlined tips to protect information while shopping online:
- Research the retailer. You will know the business and their existing inventory if you’re visiting a store, but on the web some businesses are fabricated by people who just want your credit card information or other personal details. Avoid online retailers if you cannot verify their listed physical locations and customer service phone numbers. Then double check any listed information is legitimate by putting them in an online search.
- Do an online image search of the product and any other images the seller has posted to see where the product is coming from, how much it really costs and who else is selling it.
- When making online purchases, pay with a credit card. Credit cards provide protections that allow you to dispute charges if an item is not delivered or is not as advertised.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
