The Federal Bureau of Investigation reminds shoppers in American Samoa and the U.S. Pacific not to be taken in by online scams and to stay with online retailers whom shoppers know and trust.

Just before the Thanksgiving weekend, the FBI issued a national reminder to shoppers to be aware of cyber criminals offering scams this holiday season, with the message, “if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

FBI Honolulu sent out this notice to the news media in Hawai’i, American Samoa and other U.S. territories.

Last week Samoa News heard from two people who claimed that their family members had downloaded and responded to something they believed to be a scam, targeting people looking for good online deals for the holidays. The family members say they are going through their credit card receipts to make sure they were not scammed into some very cheap deals on jewelry, watches and electronic tablets.

“I believe that one of my family members didn’t realize that what she was responding to was probably a scam on cheap prices for holiday gifts,” said one local resident, who asked not be identified, but hopes that the local media can put out a message of caution to residents about these scams that are popping up on the internet, and even through personal email addresses.

Asked if FBI Honolulu has received any complaints from residents of the U.S. Pacific islands who have been the target of such holiday scams, Honolulu FBI special agent Thomas Simon Jr. told Samoa News that he doesn’t have any specific data regarding complaints or victims broken down by region.

"The holiday season is a great time for friends and family to get together and celebrate, but it's important to recognize this is also the busy season for online scammers,” Simon said via email from Honolulu.

"Stay with online retailers that you know and trust. Responding to a spam email is a lousy way to kick off your Christmas shopping season,” he said. "Online scammers frequently use the promise of deep discounts, online coupons, and special deals to lure you into loading webpages designed to steal your personal information or money."

"Steer clear of any online ad offering products at unrealistic discounts. This is the bait they use to lure you into a fraudulent transaction,” he said. "A little common sense goes a long way. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don't let an online scammer be the Grinch who steals your Christmas."

Here are some additional tips from the FBI in order for consumers to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

•         Check your credit card statement routinely.

•         Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

•         Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.

•         Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.

•         Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.

•         Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are actually directed to and determine if they actually match and lead you to a legitimate site.

•         Log on directly to the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.

•         If you are requested to act quickly or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.

•         Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information on their official website.