OTTAWA, OH (WLIO) - We do more of our shopping online now than ever, but not all ads and websites can be trusted.
The Ottawa branch of the Putnam County District Library hosted a free talk on safely shopping online Wednesday evening. The library's technology instructor, Addie Kapel-Suguerra, explained how to spot ads that disguise themselves as social media posts and avoid websites that could send you lower quality products than they advertise, if they send anything at all.
Warning signs that you may be getting scammed or misled include typos, extreme discounts, or not having any contact information listed.
"My biggest tip is to just slow down. We move so fast, everything is geared to be able to be convenient and fast for us on our phones and on our devices. It really takes slowing down, reading over something two or three times. Maybe even waiting to purchase. Don't get pushed into it. They'll use a lot of tactics where they make you feel like you're in a hurry or you're going to miss out on a deal. They have the little countdown timer that says you only have five hours left of this sale. Those are all tactics put in place to trick people," Kapel-Suguerra explained.
If you are interested in learning more, the library's Ottawa location will hold another session on February 7th at 6pm. You can also find more information about other scams and technology tutorials on their YouTube channel.
