NEWS RELEASE

Consumers United Association
Warns consumers - Be aware of holiday scams

Denver, CO – November 19, 2001 – Walking in the local mall listening to “Deck the Halls” with a generous, gift-giving spirit, consumers are not thinking about holiday scam artists. This is a side of the holiday season on which they would rather not focus. Consumers United Association does not want to put a damper on holiday fun, but instead encourages consumers to be aware of potential scams while shopping.

The holiday season is a time for increased shopping and a prime time for certain scam artists. When the stores are busy and crowded, it is much easier to distract someone long enough to perform a scam. CUA has put together a list of tips to help holiday shoppers avoid the holiday scam artist.

• Keep your credit card in your hand until you give it to the sales clerk. A popular scam is for one person to distract a customer who has placed his or her card on the counter while the other person replaces the card with another unusable card. The scam artists are long gone before the switch is noticed and are soon making purchases with the card.
• Hold on to your purse. Placing a purse on the floor of a store for only a few seconds is another opportunity for a two-person scam team. One partner distracts the shopper while the other slips a hollow-bottom, gift-wrapped box over the purse. The team is on the way out of the store with the purse and its contents before the shopper realizes it is gone.
• Hold on to your purse. (Part two) Public restrooms are crowded during the holiday season. Many women put their purses on the hook on the back of the door or on the floor when entering the stall. A scam artist has only to reach over the door or under the stall and grab the purse and quickly leave the restroom unnoticed. Have a friend hold your purse or keep it on your lap.
• Put away those receipts. Some retailers print credit card account numbers, expiration dates and cardholder names on their receipts. A watchful scam artist sees a receipt hit the floor that its owner does not and quickly picks up the receipt with all the credit card information needed to make purchases. Make sure receipts are put away in a safe location before loading up packages and moving on to the next store.
  

By following these tips, holiday shoppers can enjoy “Deck the Halls” and gift buying without worrying about getting scammed.

Consumers United Association (CUA) is a nonprofit consumer advocacy association serving consumers in Colorado. CUA is an association made up of people and corporations who are dedicated to educating consumers on financial issues, which impact their personal lives. CUA offers services and resources to aid consumers in the resolution of consumer problems and provide a united voice for consumers in the legislative arena. For more information visit www.cuacolorado.org.