Friedman is director of the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection, which handles complaints from shoppers about unfair business practices. What should consumers look out for this holiday season?

Consumer scams don’t take a holiday. No one wants to ring in the New Year having been financially victimized. While most businesses are honest, we receive thousands of complaints each year: Consumers who purchased cars that the used car dealer did not really own, homeowners who paid thousands of dollars for repairs but received nothing in return, plumbers who installed gas appliances without getting permits or inspections, consumers who thought they were paying to save their homes from foreclosure. There are even phony charities deceptively inducing consumers to make donations.