TAMPA, Fla. — Forget the porch, some thieves are looking to take advantage of your holiday shopping before any items make it to your door.
Florida's attorney general is warning consumers this holiday season of cyber scams.
"The hustle and bustle and the increased spending is often a ripe time for scammers and criminals to take advantage," Attorney General Ashley Moody said.
It's a problem Eric Haight of Zephyrhills is all too familiar with.
"I was looking on Facebook Marketplace and saw this ad that said warehouse closeout for electric e-bikes, and they only had so many left in stock," he said. "They really did their homework on how to sucker people in."
At $39.99 a piece, plus shipping, Haight purchased three bikes. What was delivered, however, was far from what he'd hoped.
"I go out [to my mailbox] and it's a pair of sunglasses, and I was like wow," Haight said. The scammers told him it was a mix-up that couldn't be resolved without him paying even more. He knew then he wasn't dealing with a legitimate company.
"It's my fault for doing it because if it seems too good to be true, it probably is," Haight added.
Moody shared the same warning on Monday morning.
"Never buy from an unknown company. If you see a website you've never heard of, but it's half the price of where you can get it somewhere else, that's likely a scam," she said.
Moody also warns reputable companies, even your bank, can be used by scammers.
"We receive complaints about imposters impersonating these large businesses like Amazon," Moody said. "Know that no legitimate business or institution will call to demand money to fix a problem or an account. And never be ashamed to notify law enforcement."
Moody said reporting scams helps law enforcement and ultimately your neighbors.