Don’t Let Scammers Ruin Mother’s Day: How to Spot Fake Deals and Shop Safely

Every year, as Mother’s Day approaches, scammers roll out the same tired playbook—and it still works. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued its seasonal alert warning shoppers about fraudulent websites, phishing emails, and social media ads designed to steal money and personal information. This year is no different. If you’re planning to buy gifts online, it pays to know what to look for before you click “purchase.”

What Happened

The BBB’s latest scam alert, picked up by the Daily Herald and other outlets, outlines the most common tactics con artists use during holiday shopping rushes. Fake online stores that mimic well-known retailers are appearing in search results and social feeds. These sites offer steep discounts on popular gift items—flowers, jewelry, electronics—but either deliver knockoffs or nothing at all. Phishing emails are also circulating, often pretending to be from major shipping carriers or gift vendors, with links that lead to credential-harvesting pages.

Social media has become a particularly fertile ground for these scams. Ads for “too good to be true” deals, giveaway posts that ask for personal details, and accounts impersonating legitimate brands are all on the rise. The BBB notes that these scams tend to spike in the weeks before gift‑giving holidays, and Mother’s Day is no exception.

Why It Matters

Holiday scams are not just about losing the cost of a gift. They can also expose your credit card number, home address, and other sensitive data that fraudsters can use for identity theft. According to BBB Scam Tracker data, online purchase scams have been among the top reported fraud types in recent years, with median losses of several hundred dollars per incident. For many families, a single successful scam can turn a celebratory occasion into a stressful financial headache.

The problem is compounded by the sheer volume of ads and offers that flood consumers’ feeds. It’s easy to let your guard down when you’re short on time and looking for a deal. That’s exactly what scammers count on.

What Readers Can Do

You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to shop safely. A few straightforward checks can make a big difference:

Check the website before buying. Look for misspellings in the URL (e.g., “macyz.com” instead of “macys.com”), missing contact information, or a lack of a physical address and phone number. Even a professional‑looking site can be a fake, so cross‑check the domain age with a free WHOIS lookup tool—newer domains are riskier.

Read reviews on independent sites. Avoid relying solely on testimonials posted on the store’s own website. Check the BBB Business Profile, Trustpilot, or other third‑party platforms. If a brand has a flood of identical five‑star reviews or a pattern of complaints about non‑delivery, take it as a red flag.

Watch for phishing red flags. Emails that pressure you to act quickly, offer deals that seem too generous, or come from addresses that don’t match the company’s official domain should be treated with suspicion. Don’t click links in unsolicited messages; instead, go directly to the retailer’s website.

Pay with a credit card. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection than debit cards or payment apps. Enable purchase alerts so you get notified of every transaction. Avoid shopping on public Wi‑Fi, and keep your device’s software up to date.

If you are scammed, act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card issuer to dispute the charge. Then report the scam to the BBB Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker. If you shared personal information such as your Social Security number, consider freezing your credit with the major bureaus.

Sources

  • BBB Scam Alert: “Con artists target Mother’s Day shoppers” (Daily Herald, May 7, 2026)
  • BBB Scam Tracker data on online purchase scams

Stay alert, shop smart, and don’t let a scam take the joy out of celebrating the moms in your life.