What Are Online Shopping Scams

   There are a lot of sellers on the internet that are fake. They seem to be legitimate but are not.  These criminal minded persons use counterfeit ( fake ) websites to lure people to buy products from them that does not exist. They can do these things by making fake advertisements on social media networks and even on legitimate retailer sites.

   Online shopping scams work by using websites that are fake. These are retailer websites that look believable. Everything on the site may look authentic, but it is not. They use a payment system that is risky. Often they ask you to send money via wire transfer, money order or pre - loaded money card.  If you do this , you will never get your money back nor will you get the item that you purchased. Scammers make their deals not using an auction site. Online auction sites have stringent rules and scammers know this. Never negotiate with an advertiser outside of a website that doesn’t use any credible online payment system.  Online classified websites allow this to happen. These scammers can post fake ads and fool prospective buyers

      There Are A Number Of Ways To Know Whether The Site Is Fake Or Not:

1. Make an engine search and type the name of the website.  If the website is questionable or illegitimate, a casual google check will give you the right information. Using the search engine google is really good because it collates user reviews of high end traffic sights. Look at reviews and feedback that have no connection with the website

2. There must be a security status on the site and it should appear on your browser’s address. Click on the padlock icon to confirm the details of the website.There is a certain kind of encryption that is used.

3. Make an assessment of the site’s URL. The site should not emulate a credible business website 

(  http or https ).Domain extensions that use “ biz” and “ info” tend to be unreliable.  It can be doubtful if it contains a lot of dashes and symbols in the domain name.  Using .com or .net  is an integral part of a domain’s name, but it is easy to acquire.

4. Legitimate sites usually have good grammar. If the site has bad English grammar then it could be suspicious.

    Here Are Some Safety Tips That Buyers Should Remember;

  

1. Do not buy products that are sold at a considerably low price or products that have so many advantages.

2. Beware of online retailers that do not divulge sufficient information about privacy, terms and conditions of use and other pertinent information.

3. Tell the seller that you will only pay up when you have seen the product or received the product. This you should do when you are buying from a classified ads website.

4. Use an escrow service when you are buying from an online auction site. Escrow services will hold the payment until you receive the product and then it will pay the amount to the seller.

5. Always use a secure online payment service when making payments