While Black Friday sales were down this year, Americans are expected to do plenty of shopping this holiday season.

Maybe you’ve been waiting to grab one of Monday’s Cyber Monday deals.

A warning though from the FBI. They say the online shopping holiday has become pretty popular with crooks targeting your bank account and credit cards.

The FBI is warning online shoppers to keep an eye out for criminals trying to scam you.

The bureau says it’s probably best to avoid links and attachments in e-mails offering hot items or gift cards and go straight to official websites for businesses identified in unsolicited messages.

“Once you start clicking on these links, what happens is you download a malicious software program that installs on your machine and it basically spies on what you do,” said McAfee online security expert Robert Siciliano.

Thieves are now targeting mobile devices through apps designed to steal personal information.

The FBI says these scams often look like games, and are usually offered for free.

The Bureau recommends researching the company selling or giving away an app before putting it on your smartphone.

“Make sure you only download apps from legitimate stores,” Siciliano continued.

The FBI also warns consumers to never post pictures of tickets you purchase or receive on social media sites.

Scammers can create another ticket using the barcode and resell your admission.

Also beware of auction sites selling discounted gift cards and routinely monitor your accounts.

“It’s very important to look at all of your statements, making sure that you reconcile every charge so that you make sure it was made by you. You can also download your bank or credit card company smart phone app and check your statements every single day,” Siciliano said.

If you believe you’ve been the victim of a web related crime, you can file a complaint with the FBI by going to http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx.

(AP)