NEW YORK -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and the Better Business Bureau are offering shopping safety tips for residents in St. Lawrence County and throughout the state who plan to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“As the holiday shopping season kicks off and New Yorkers look to take advantage of sales and bargains, they must be aware of deals that are too good to be true and online fraudsters scheming to make a quick buck,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “By following our tips and guidelines, consumers will be able to spend their money wisely and safely this holiday season.”

Attorney General Schneiderman issued the following tips for consumers:

Beware of misleading bargains and added fees: The “sale” price may have been marked up before it was marked down, nullifying the impact of the sale. Often, the touted “sale” price may, in fact, be significantly higher than the price for that same item later in the season. Delivery charges and/or other added costs such as assembly fees are often not reflected in the “sale price.” In many cases, hidden costs like these may negate the value of the sale.

Compare warranty terms. Not all warranties are the same. Make sure you read the terms of any warranty to learn what protections you get and the duration of those protections.

Know the terms of a layaway plan. The law requires merchants to give a detailed description of the merchandise to be purchased on layaway plans, the total cost of the items, including all charges, the duration of the plan, the required payment schedule, the consequences of missing payments, the refund policy and the location, if other than the place of purchase, where the merchandise is being stored.

Check return and refund policies. The law requires all merchants to post their refund policies. A store that fails to do so must give consumers 30 days to get a refund in the manner that the purchase was made. Be especially vigilant of “final sales” or “cash-only – final sale” notices, as you will have little or no recourse if the merchandise proves to be defective.

Beware of restricted gift cards. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of gift cards before purchasing. It is illegal to deduct any fees for non-use within one year of purchase or to have an expiration date of less than five years from issuance.

Do not be tricked by confusingly similar website and domain names: Pay particular attention to your retailer’s URL when shopping online. Scammers use variants of a known company’s Internet address to try and lure users into visiting fake websites. They often target users through email or social media. Avoid clicking on links from email or social media sites.

Protect yourself by using credit cards: With the advent of point-of-sale malware and rampant data breaches, identity thieves are now more sophisticated and dangerous than ever. If you are going to make purchases online, you can best protect yourself from the risks of identity theft and fraud by using credit cards. Credit cards generally offer better purchase protection and fraud dispute resolution than other methods of payment.

BBB advises shoppers to arm themselves with information, a budget and the ability to resist pressure to buy items they don’t want or need. One-day deals and specials have become the norm rather than the exception, whether shopping online or in a store. If you’ve researched an item ahead of time, you’ll be better able to evaluate deals.

Better Business Bureau offers advice to make your Black Friday shopping experience productive and honest:

Learn about advertising tricks and gimmicks. The new BBB #AdTruth campaign highlights bad ads and helps you learn to identify the most common schemes and cons. Check it out at bbb.org/adtruth.

Do your research. Read product reviews, check out bbb.org for Business Reviews, look at the sales flyers and ads, compare prices, look for early promotions and “flash sales.” For tips on searching online, check out the new BBB Digital IQ project at bbb.org/digitalIQ.Be sure to check return and refund policies before you buy. Although some stores relax their return policies during the holiday season, others may require that returns be made within a few days of purchase. Some only allow returns if a product is defective while others may give store credit instead of cash refunds.

Sign up for email alerts. Many stores release Black Friday deals to people who have signed up to receive email alerts. Before you click on anything, make sure it’s the real business and not a scammer.

Ask for gift receipts and save warranty information. A gift receipt can be tucked into a gift item or card so that the recipient can return or exchange a gift if it’s not just right. Be sure to pass along any information about returns, exchanges, repairs, and warranties to the person who will use the item.

Visit bbb.org for more information.