How to recognize Online Shopping Scams?
Recognize Online Shopping Scams
As internet penetrative every corner of the world. The scammers also take advantage of this penetration. Online Shopping Scams are not new. They have been in society from ancient times. The only difference is that the earlier scam range was not large enough to scam thousands of people from the comfort of their homes.
Scams definition in Oxford is “a clever and dishonest plan for making money“. It sum-up literally every scam scheme either running online or offline. There are different kinds of online shopping scams that are running which include Brand Name Scams, Apparel Sites Scams, and Online Store Scams.
Online shopping has become a normal day-to-day activity. Online transactions have increased exponentially. In between all these development, the rate of scam websites also increased at the same pace. Daily numerous scam websites launch online. Therefore, it has become imperative for everyone to become aware of the subtle red flags that are found in almost every scam website.
No website is a scam until it scams people. It means somebody has to get scammed before declaring a site is a scam or not. It is not a healthy practice. Therefore, we want you to learn and understand some common but subtle red points. They will raise an alert for your to check the site thoroughly before using it.
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Subtle Red Flags Found on Scam Websites
Check the Owner Information
Always check the online shopping website background. It is the most basic habit, people must inculcate in their life. Ask for the information of the owner of the website. Earlier scam websites used to come for a short period of time. Now the game plan has changed 360 degrees.
We have witnessed many sites, especially that are selling some kind of apparel has lived for 2-3 years. Now they are on the internet for long period. This point we will discuss later.
The common point among all short and long-duration scam websites is that they never share their information. Nobody can find anything about the owner of the website or the team members responsible for the management and other activities.
Check their information in WHOIS records. Scammers always guard their information. They understand the consequence of sharing their real information.
It is also true that many websites do share some information which is a positive point for us. Now, we can check the authenticity of the information shared. Only some of the scammers take this chance. It is more convenient for us to check and prove the information shared is fake than claiming a site fake where no information is present.
People need to understand that they are the customer of the website. Therefore, it is their right to know about the person who owns the website. Or to whom they are trusting with their hard-earned money.
Check the ‘About Us’
Among other essential pages that are imperative to be on every site, the ‘About Us Page’ is most important. To check the site authenticity one can get the whole idea from their ‘About Us Page’.
Genuine websites share their information, vision, and mission on this page. Many new apparel websites share their story and journey. This page also explains, what a website is meant to its owner.
Don’t underestimate the intention of people. Words say a lot of things about the personality of a person. Intention cannot be judged but can only be felt. The way one puts effort to explain their work or story, makes you feel the connection with that person.
Online shopping scam websites just copy-paste the content from some other site. Or they just write something which doesn’t match with their work.
In some cases, we have seen that website is selling kids toys but their About Us Page content says they are dealing in fashionable clothes. Always check the content thoroughly to point out subtle discrepancies.
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Plaigiarized Content Used
As we all have some unique quality that seems to be peculiar to others. In a similar manner, scammers also have the peculiar character to use copied content. While checking some new sites, always look into the content written inside different pages like Terms and Conditions, Policy and Refund pages (including About Us Page).
Use any plagiarism tool available free online to check the authenticity of the content. If the same content is available on some other site as well then that site is not a genuine website.
Search Engines put much emphasis on the content produced by every website. For the same reason, genuine companies hire content writers these days to produce new, unique and different content for their products and sites.
On contrary to genuine websites, scammers just used or copied the content from other scam websites (maybe the same person own different scam websites). They do not believe in wasting their time in creating unique content. They just launch various websites with similar content but under different names.
Most scam sites just place social media icons on their website. But they don’t have an account. Not having a social media presence in this competitive world is not a good sign for any company. Even those people who don’t have any website but operate FB pages have a social media presence.
Social media is a good platform for any company to interact with its customer. They can use it to promote their product or solve customer queries. Scammers don’t come to do business. Therefore, they don’t make social media account.
We have seen some apparel sites’ social media accounts. If any suspicious site has social media account, here also you have to observe their account. One must compare simultaneously their page performance with any genuine company’s page.
If a site is bad then it will not work hard to maintain its social media accounts. Similarly, the way they don’t put much effort into maintaining their website.
Too Good to Be True Deals: A Trap
Generally, people around the world believe that the internet offers great deals on various products. This statement is partially true. It is because great deals can be present on the internet but not the ‘too good to be true deals’.
The main aim of any kind of business is profit. If profit is not happening then the business will not sustain and the person has to shut his/her business. No one around the world is so compassionate and benevolent to sell its product at a discounted rate and ship the order across the world.
Many sites which originate from China, do involve scamming people in the western world. They use this trick to lure them. They offer exciting discounts and low prices on their products.
Most of the shopping scams website took images of the product from the original owner. They use it and claim to own such product but in reality, they just bluffing to make you believe them.
The irony we faced is that most of the people understand the deals are too good to be true. Still, they took the chance and shopped on non-legitimate websites. Most of them have explained that money was not much and the product looks too cool and beautiful.
Understand discount as a two-edged sword. It not just get people’s attention but also give them the courage to take a risk by believing new websites blindly.
We request all the people to not take such kind of risk. It may not harm you much but it will give encouragement to scammers. It would be good if you raise red flags whenever you encounter a website with too good to be true deals.
Online Shopping Scams can be prevented only when we all become aware of their work and understand what tricks they play to fool their victims.
Variances in domain and site name
Websites that are trying to disguise themselves like some branded company, use the trick of different domain and site names. Take it as a mantra, in any website where you found minor or major differences in domain and site name don’t use it.
There might be some exception but almost every website with this discrepancy turn into a scam later. Therefore, it is good to become extra alert during the season of sales on sites that sell branded products.
Don’t be in a rush to buy any branded product just because somebody is selling them at a discounted rate. Brands don’t launch any great discount rates in their sales. One can get a discount on the old pieces or on previous year’s stock product. But there is no sale available on fresh arrivals.
Even in the textile business one cannot get a discount on fresh arrivals but scam websites (Clothing Sites Scam List) offer discounts even on fresh arrivals. Any e-commerce company that deviates from their profit, don’t believe that website.
Check the Trusted Mark
A trusted mark is a third-party verification of the website. Many sites like Better Business Bureau (BBB), Scamadvicer, and many other websites do offer trusted marks. Some scam website uses the trusted mark as well but one needs to check that mark as well.
Most of the scammers just use the image of the trusted marks which is not clickable. Trusted mark must link to the certificate claiming the authenticity of that website.
New Domain Age
The majority of scam websites just come for a short duration. Their domain age will be very young. Therefore, always check the domain age of suspicious websites. If it is a new website without any owner details then don’t use it.
Check the Website Reviews
Most of the time scammers do share reviews on their own websites. More than a review these are testimonials of the people. But these are not real testimonials. It means they not just copy the content but also the testimonials from some other sites.
Do not believe the reviews present on the site that are selling the products. As it is not the product quality that is in question. The website in itself is under the scanner.
Try to look around the internet most of the time you will find the review of some scam website. Otherwise, just check the above-mentioned points, you will be safe.
International Shippment
Try to avoid buying a product from an international website or products which is coming from China or across the continent. It is not convenient for any company to sell products at a discounted rate without charging proper delivery charges.
Free delivery most of the time costs more than the product itself. It is because scammers do send the product but not the right product. They ask the customer to resend the product to them. Now, you have to bear the shipment charges and send the courier across the continent.
Conclusion
Understanding Online Shopping Scams is not rocket science. One has to become aware of common red flags and apply them. Share your thoughts with us. Also, share this piece of information with other people and help us to make them aware of these red flags as well.
The more people understand the fundamental points found among scam sites. More we will mark a dent in the work of scammers.
If you think you get scammed then read the article: What to do next when you get scammed?
There are many reasons why we fall for such kinds of scams. To understand more about it, read the following article to clear your perspective, Why We Fall Into Scam?
Stay Safe! Be Healthy! Be Happy!