PICTURE: PEXELS/KINDEL MEDIA
Online shopping has made it easier than ever to find clothes, electronics, beauty products and household essentials at the click of a button. But as online shopping grows, so does the risk of falling victim to fake websites designed to steal money or personal information.
Also see: How to avoid common online banking scams
A website can look professional and still be fraudulent. Before entering your card details or placing an order, take a few minutes to check whether the retailer is legitimate.
Check the website address
One of the first things to examine is the website’s URL. Look for unusual spellings, extra characters or domains that imitate well-known retailers.
A secure connection, shown by “https” and a padlock, is useful but does not prove that a website is legitimate. Scammers can also use encrypted connections.
If the website address looks suspicious or different from the retailer’s usual domain, don’t enter your personal or payment information.
Be suspicious of prices that seem too good to be true
A designer handbag, an expensive smartphone or a popular appliance being sold for a fraction of its normal price should raise a red flag.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), unusually low prices can be a warning sign of a scam, particularly when a seller demands payment before shipping the product.
Compare the price with several established retailers. A genuine sale is possible, but an extreme discount combined with other warning signs deserves extra caution.
Look for proper contact information
Legitimate retailers generally provide customers with ways to contact them, such as a physical address, telephone number, email address or customer-service channels.
Be cautious if a website only provides a generic email address or contact form and offers no verifiable business information.
You can also search for the company’s name independently rather than relying only on reviews displayed on its own website.
Research reviews before buying
Search the retailer’s name along with words such as “reviews,” “scam,” or “complaints.”
Don’t rely entirely on testimonials published on the website itself. Scammers can create fake reviews to make a business appear trustworthy.
The Better Business Bureau recommends researching unfamiliar businesses and checking for complaints or other warning signs before making a purchase.
Also see: Effective ways to protect your side hustle from scams
Check the payment options
Be particularly careful if a website insists on paying through methods that offer little or no protection.
The FTC advises consumers to use safer payment methods, such as credit cards, where possible, because they may provide additional protections if something goes wrong.
Never send money simply because a seller pressures you to complete the transaction immediately.
Don’t let urgency decide for you
Fake shopping websites often use countdown timers, messages claiming that only one item remains or warnings that a sale will end within minutes.
These tactics are designed to make shoppers act before they have time to investigate.
Take a step back and research the retailer before paying.
Trust your instincts
If something about an online store feels wrong, don’t ignore that feeling.
Check the URL, research the company, compare prices, look for independent reviews and verify its contact details before making a purchase.
A few extra minutes of research can save you from losing money or handing your personal information to a scammer.
Also see: Toss claims he was scammed of nearly R20,000 on Uber Eats
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