As the holiday season nears its zenith it can become extremely difficult to maintain your defenses against the myriad of fraud schemes that plague our capitalistic society. Luckily, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has your back! In her presentation, “2017 Holiday Consumer Protection Guide”, she outlines a number of safety precautions, product safety information, and tips to help consumers remain vigilant and festive.

The popularity of online shopping has exploded in the years since Amazon, Wayfair, and Jet were introduced to the public market. Bondi’s presentation certainly didn’t skimp on the online protection tips. The presentation offered information on recalled products and other issues related to online purchasing.

While recalled products are not typically fraudulent in nature, there are several other intentional hazards to shopping online, many of which include online charity scams. These scams capitalize on the season of giving and solicit donations from unsuspecting members of Santa’s Nice List.

This comprehensive guide is broken down into the following categories:

  1. Holiday Shopping Tips
  2. Charity Scams
  3. Product Recalls
    1. Baby & Toddler Goods
    2. Children’s Clothing & Accessories
    3. Furniture
    4. Household Goods
    5. Sporting Goods & Recreational Vehicles
    6. Toys
  4. Other Resources

This guide is fully-loaded with 144 pages of information…but the biggest takeaway is this: before spending any large sum of money this holiday season – set some time aside to research the product and/or cause. If you have any questions or concerns, there is a Citizen Services hotline that you can reach by calling 1-866-966-7226. You may also visit MyFloridaLegal.com.