8 Warning Signs That a Shopping Website is Fraudulent
1. Pay attention to the address bar
The first thing you want to check is the https:// at the beginning of the website's address. The 's' in https:// stands for 'secure' and indicates that the website uses encryption to transfer data, protecting it from hackers.
To be on the safe side, avoid entering payment information on a website beginning with http.
2. Take a closer look at the domain name
When shopping online, it is recommended that you take a good look at the domain name, to see if it’s actually what you think it is. Slight variations in spelling or wording can be easy to miss. For example, scammers might create a website that mimics the name of a large brand or company, like Yah00.com or Amaz0n.net. through the domain name, which is exactly what scammers rely on.
3. Poor grammar and spelling
Companies with legitimate websites may certainly have the occasional typo, but they do put a lot of effort into presenting a professional website. If you spot an excess of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar mistakes on a website, it could indicate that the site was created hastily and should certainly raise suspicion.
4. You’re asked for financial information while browsing
If you get an e-mail or a pop-up message that asks you for your card details or any other type of financial information while you’re browsing a website, close this window immediately. Legitimate companies never ask for information that way.
5. Vital information is hard to find or non -existent
Firstly, look out for the contact information. There should be several ways to contact the company, i.e. phone, e-mail, live chat, and a physical address. If there is no contact info, or all you get are automatically-generated responses, that is a huge red flag.
Another thing that should be completely transparent and easy-to-spot is the website’s privacy policy. You should be able to get a clear idea of the kind of information a website you’re using is collecting, as well as how they’re going to use that information.
Finally, take a look at the return policy. This one should also be absolutely transparent. If it seems in any way vague or convoluted, or if it is nowhere to be found, closer the window immediately.
6. Strange Google search results
One thing you can do if you’re questioning a site’s legitimacy is to Google it. Simply type the site’s name and the owner’s name (if you can find it) into Google and see what the search results say
7. No option to pay with a credit card
This one may seem obvious if you’re an
experienced online shopper, but it’s still
important to understand the rationale behind it.
If a website requires you to use a wire transfer, money order, or other unsecured (and non -refundable) form of payment, it would be best to stay away, even if the rest of the website looks legitimate.
8. A deal looks too good to be true
We are not trying to say that every discount or deal you see online is a scam. Sometimes, retailers offer significant discounts on their merchandise to offload excess goods and make room for new products. However, if an offer instinctively seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a site has the latest iPad at a 70% discount, or the price of an item is much lower than what you’ve seen on other sites, walk away. Chances are, it is either a scam or the product is counterfeit. more
The first thing you want to check is the https:// at the beginning of the website's address. The 's' in https:// stands for 'secure' and indicates that the website uses encryption to transfer data, protecting it from hackers.
To be on the safe side, avoid entering payment information on a website beginning with http.
2. Take a closer look at the domain name
When shopping online, it is recommended that you take a good look at the domain name, to see if it’s actually what you think it is. Slight variations in spelling or wording can be easy to miss. For example, scammers might create a website that mimics the name of a large brand or company, like Yah00.com or Amaz0n.net. through the domain name, which is exactly what scammers rely on.
3. Poor grammar and spelling
Companies with legitimate websites may certainly have the occasional typo, but they do put a lot of effort into presenting a professional website. If you spot an excess of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar mistakes on a website, it could indicate that the site was created hastily and should certainly raise suspicion.
4. You’re asked for financial information while browsing
If you get an e-mail or a pop-up message that asks you for your card details or any other type of financial information while you’re browsing a website, close this window immediately. Legitimate companies never ask for information that way.
5. Vital information is hard to find or non -existent
Firstly, look out for the contact information. There should be several ways to contact the company, i.e. phone, e-mail, live chat, and a physical address. If there is no contact info, or all you get are automatically-generated responses, that is a huge red flag.
Another thing that should be completely transparent and easy-to-spot is the website’s privacy policy. You should be able to get a clear idea of the kind of information a website you’re using is collecting, as well as how they’re going to use that information.
Finally, take a look at the return policy. This one should also be absolutely transparent. If it seems in any way vague or convoluted, or if it is nowhere to be found, closer the window immediately.
6. Strange Google search results
One thing you can do if you’re questioning a site’s legitimacy is to Google it. Simply type the site’s name and the owner’s name (if you can find it) into Google and see what the search results say
7. No option to pay with a credit card
This one may seem obvious if you’re an
experienced online shopper, but it’s still
important to understand the rationale behind it.
If a website requires you to use a wire transfer, money order, or other unsecured (and non -refundable) form of payment, it would be best to stay away, even if the rest of the website looks legitimate.
8. A deal looks too good to be true
We are not trying to say that every discount or deal you see online is a scam. Sometimes, retailers offer significant discounts on their merchandise to offload excess goods and make room for new products. However, if an offer instinctively seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a site has the latest iPad at a 70% discount, or the price of an item is much lower than what you’ve seen on other sites, walk away. Chances are, it is either a scam or the product is counterfeit. more
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