Many of today’s scams come in the form of fraudulent websites that try to fool shoppers into thinking they are reputable, often by tying their branding closely to a well-established and trusted brand. These three tips will help you spot such fraudulent sites, protecting yourself from a potential scam.
1. Domain Name - If you are shopping from a big retailer, you can be confident that the name of their website reflects their company name. Be wary of URLs that simply add words like “deals,” “discounts,” and “sales” to an established and existing brand.
2. Contact Information - While reputable retailers have the resources to afford private email hosting, many scammers do not. Be wary of any site using a free email client like Yahoo, Microsoft, or Google.
3. Poor English - Scam sites are often run overseas by people who may not be fluent in English. An established company, however, will have the money to hire professionals that take the time to ensure the site and its copy make sense. While the occasional typo or mistake is not a dead giveaway, frequent spelling and grammatical errors often are.