Be wary of advertisement posts from seemingly familiar brands or even posts shared from people that you follow. If you click on an ad through social media, do your research and check out the company. Include the company name and the words “scam” or “complaint” in your search. If you are making a purchase from a stranger on social media, make sure they can be trusted.

Thieves have gotten smarter. A common method for social media shopping scams doesn’t involve a sponsored post but uses group memberships to spread the word. Have you ever seen an innocuous post within a group? Say you’re a member of a hiking enthusiasts group on Facebook, and you see a post by a group member. The poster uploads an image, purportedly of themselves, with a post saying: “Just got this fabulous new hiking shirt!” Group members begin to like and respond, asking where the original poster got the shirt. The poster quickly follows up with a link, and off you go! The “stores” you end up on pop up and are closed down as soon as they’re caught, only to pop back up under a different web address.

Because social media groups infer a higher level of trust and the scammer doesn’t go straight to a sales tactic, it can be harder to spot. Bottom line: don’t click links and don’t buy from online sites you’ve never heard of before. Try to find the product yourself on a trusted website.