Michigan AG Warns Shoppers About Valentine’s Day Scams

Valentine's Day is this Saturday, which means a lot of us are about to do the last-minute panic and try to find gifts for our loved ones. And while you're trying to snag flowers, jewelry, a hoodie, or whatever your person may be into, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is saying: don't let a scammer make a big fool out of you.

If you are shopping online, you should verify that it's a real store. If you can't confirm the company has an actual physical location—or anything beyond a flashy website—that's a red flag. Another smart move is to do a quick image search of the product you're looking at. If that "exclusive" item is all over the internet under a bunch of different shady listings, you'll know you're not on some secret deal.

Also, you should pay with a credit card when you can. Credit cards usually give you better protection and the ability to dispute charges if something isn't right.

You should never give out any sensitive information, like bank numbers, passwords, or your Social Security number, through texts or emails. Legit businesses will never need anything like that.

Nessel also warned about the sneaky pressure tactics some sites use to rush you into buying—things like "Only 2 items left!" "Someone else just bought this!" or timers saying your cart is about to expire, then resetting if you refresh the page.

If the site is stressing you out, slow down... it's probably not real.

If you think you have been scammed or want to file a consumer complaint, you can always contact the Michigan Attorney General's Consumer Protection team at 517-335-7599.