Cyber Monday: Manitoba RCMP warn shoppers to be careful of online scams

WINNIPEG — Companies worldwide are offering extreme online savings to mark the annual Cyber Monday sale. It’s the perfect time to get all your Christmas shopping done, but Manitoba RCMP say it’s also the perfect time to get ripped off by a scam.

“Common sense has to prevail. So if it’s really cheap, it’s just too good to be true,” said Corp. John Montgomery, who has experience working with fraud and counterfeit cases with the RCMP.

READ MORE: Cyber Monday: How to avoid the biggest security mistakes when buying online

Manitoba RCMP seizes hundreds of counterfeit items every year. Montgomery said it’s easy to mistake fake sites for real ones. The items are normally coming from places like China, Montogmery added, and there is no way of knowing where your money is going, or what your product will really look like.

“You’re giving your credit card numbers to somebody halfway around the world, so you might get what you want, you might get something totally different. You only know that until it shows up and it’s not what you want. What do you do then?”

According to an RCMP study, counterfeit purchases are on the rise.

Anastia Young has fallen victim to one first hand.

She ordered a new top from a site she found on Facebook, and said she’ll never do it again.

“It was a nice cardigan. It hung really long, and when I got it in, it was just a rectangle with two arm holes in it,” said Young.

From now on, she’s sticking to the crowded malls, to avoid another online disaster.

“I don’t shop online anymore. I just go to the store, it’s a lot easier.”

RELATED: How to recognize and avoid online phishing scams

Mongomery said before making a purchase online this Cyber Monday, make sure you are on an official site, and be careful following emails about big deals.

“You have to realize costs, because it’s a good quality product, that same product is just not going to be the same thing for 10 percent of the price.”