Fake online stores and how to spot them
Fake online stores fool people into buying cheap branded goods or goods that do not exist at all. Here, AnyTech365 IoT Security Solutions Experts provide 7 good tips for spotting fake online stores on the web.
The market for scams and fake online stores is growing. Many scammers buy domain names that end up on .com or .dk .co.uk etc. to appear more credible in the eyes of consumers. Where they sell copy goods or goods that do not exist at all.
Spot the fake online stores
– However, it is not just known online stores, we need to be aware of, but suspicious online stores in general. IT scammers are getting better at fooling us when we shop online. That’s why it’s a good idea to pay extra attention when you come across an online store you’ve never visited or seen before.
In general, it is a good idea to think about what first-hand impression you get from the online store before you put items in the shopping cart and go to the checkout page. Are there many language errors? Are branded products being sold at cheap prices? Does the company behind the online store have a physical address? Then maybe it’s a fake online store.
– However, keep in mind that even if you spot a language error or see that the online store does not have a physical address, it is not necessarily a scam. You may also come across a scam shop where the language is written perfectly. What you need to be aware of is therefore a combination of several different pitfalls.
Here are 7 good tips for spotting fake online stores
- Pay attention to the language
You are mocking a fake online store whose page is filled with misspellings and obvious grammatical errors. Especially foreign fraudsters tend to translate the text into using automatic translation services. You may also come across sentences where English and a different language words are mixed together, which makes the sentence have a meager meaning. - Spot the skewed prices
One thing you can also look for is low prices. If the products’ prices consist of amounts such as $ 1,462.72 or $ 1,485.01, there is good reason to pay extra attention. Check if the hefty prices are going again on the entire online store or if it is just on individual offer items. - Check the company contact information
Look for online store contact information. Who’s behind the store? Is there a phone number, address, email address, Tax number, etc.? On many fake online stores, this information is non-existent and if you can’t find it, you should be wary. In most countries you can lookup the Tax registration number, use such tool to make sure there are no scammers behind the site. - Keep an eye on cheap branded products
Many scam shops are characterized by selling cheap branded goods. You should therefore be wary of finding a Louis Vuitton bag with a 70-80% discount. If prices are low, there is a high likelihood that these are copied goods or goods that do not exist at all. Check out price comparison sites to get an idea of a product’s price level or on the brand’s official website. - Check user reviews
You can check user reviews on sites such as www.trustpilot.com before you make your purchase online. At Trustpilot you can see buying experiences and reviews from other users who would like to help you make a decision before buying. User reviews are becoming more common nowadays and here you will most often get a clue as to whether the site is real or not. - Look for the e-mark
Before you shop, it is a good idea to look for the e-brand, for secure internet commerce. All e-branded online stores are controlled by the e-commerce fund and here you can always get help if you need it, a fake online shop would not have an e-mark. The e-tag has a search feature where you can check if a webshop is e-tagged or if it is registered as a scam. - Pay by card
It is a good idea to always pay your goods online with a debit card. If you do not receive your goods, because of buying in a fake online shop, the bank can help you withdraw the money. Another advice is to consider an additional security code, such as Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode when paying with your credit cards online. Here you need to enter an extra code before the payment can be processed. It will protect you from online abuse if scammers should grab your card.
I hope you are now keeping on the lookout for any of our 7 tips to spot fake online shops, you may also like to read about How the Microsoft phone scam works, very interesting read indeed.
