At the same time, in order not to be left without money and goods, an online buyer needs to beware of an unreasonable domain name, dubious feedback and a large number of ads. Financial expert Alexey Leonov told socialbites.ca about this.
“Spelling errors, strange extensions or missing SSL certificate (http instead of http) can be signs of scammers. Additionally, attackers often create copies of designs or domain names of popular brands, changing a few letters in the name and then offering the products at discounted prices,” the expert warned.
Another red flag for scammers is missing legal and contact information.
“In addition to the feedback form and phone numbers, the seller’s website must contain at least the official name of the company; In this way, you can find out, for example, on the website of the Federal Tax Service whether the company or its manager is affiliated with it. there are any legal cases,” He added.
You should also pay attention to the fact that the seller has no “history”.
“Of course, absolutely everyone who is new to business should not be considered a potential fraudster, but still a very “new” account or site registration date should make a cautious buyer suspicious,” Leonov emphasized.
Among other signs, the expert noted inaccuracies or inconsistencies in the description of the goods. This may indicate that information was hastily copied from sites of reliable sellers. And also questionable feedback.
“Negative ratings or lack of reviews is a red flag. However, too much positivity should also alert you: it is possible that such reviews are “prepared” by specially hired people or even a computer program. And you definitely shouldn’t blindly trust the reviews on the seller’s website. “It is best to look for them on specialized Internet sites,” he suggested.
The abundance of ads should also raise suspicion.
“For example, “last sale” and so on. “Countering a potential customer is a common psychological technique that encourages impulse buying and is actively used by both unscrupulous sellers and fraudsters,” the expert said.
Red flags also include unreliable registration and payment methods. For example, the obligation to make a prepayment, especially through anonymous payment systems or to a special card.
“Please note that the price of the product is very low. “If a future deal seems too good to be true, it probably is,” he added.
Moreover, even paying in cash upon receipt of the goods or upon delivery does not always save you from fraud, because often the box contains cheap fakes or completely unexpected items – from a piece of paper to cat litter. Leonov therefore came to the conclusion that it is better to agree with the seller on the opportunity to check the contents of the package before payment or use the “Completion check” service, pay a little more, but avoid the risk of colliding with a fraudster.
Previously in Russia was recorded growth of online business.