The great thing about the Internet is that it’s very easy to shop for just about anything you want.
The not-so-great thing about the Internet is that literally anyone can create a website or social profile and set up a fake store to steal money from online shoppers.
Here are three tips for spotting a fake online store.
The Price is Too Low
Ten percent off is a reasonable deal on an item. 95% off a premium item is a scam. You’re not getting a Rolex for $299, or Ray-Ban sunglasses for $20, or Nike Dunks for $30. There’s a reason these brands rarely (or never, in the case of ultra-high-end brands like Rolex) offer discounts—they don’t need to. You might get a few bucks off last year’s model, or free shipping, but if the price is absurdly low, assume the store is fraudulent.
They Require Non-Reversible Payments
If an online store wants you to pay in cryptocurrency, via wire transfer, or with preloaded gift cards, it’s a safe bet you’re never going to see the item you’re trying to buy once you send the money. Credit card payments are traceable and reversible if there is a problem with an order, as are established platforms like PayPal. However, never let any seller talk you into using PayPal Friends and Family instead of regular merchant payments, as the former has very few protections for the payer.
The Store or Website is New
This one is tricky because not every legitimate online store has been around forever. However, taken with other clues (like suspiciously low prices), a brand-new web store that was only registered in the past couple weeks or days is a red flag. To check the age of a website URL visit https://lookup.icann.org/ and paste the website’s address in the search bar. The results will show the date the URL was created under “Domain Information.” If you’ve got a gut feeling and you’re wondering “is this site a scam?” and you see that it was created three days ago, don’t go through with any purchase.
