Internet scams during the holidays

Unfortunately this is one of the most profitable times of the year for online shopping scams and bogus websites. I have done all of my shopping for the holidays online for the first time this year and feel lucky that I come away scrape free. After reading the report released by Google and their decision to not index known internet scam sites I realized that this is a growing problem. The link for the article is below.



Here are some tips on how to find legitimate websites and also how to spot online shopping scams.

1. Is the website reputable?

Do your research into the website and see what people have to say about it. It can be as easy as typing the name of the website into google and looking for feedback.

2. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.

I almost bought an electronic item from what looked like a reputable site but it didn't feel right. I went through the "Contact Us" section of the wesbite and typed the telephone number into google and five different companies came up as an exact match. I called the number listed and it seemed like they were never open. Afterwards I found a website that listed the one that I was considering as a scam site with REALLY poor reviews.

3. Read, read, read reviews

You may be able to scam a few people but once you get around the block a few times people will start to realize this is happening and report it. I know if someone scammed me I would blast them on my blog.

4. Make sure that you are buying from the website itself and not from a seller through the site.

Sites like EBay are great, I love it but they are well known for the scammers that lurk in the auctions. Read all of the information about the item listed and see if someone is posting it on a site like "Amazon.com" or if the website itself is hosting the item. This can make a huge difference if you need to exchange the item, want a refund or even of the item is under warranty.

5. Be careful how you pay for the items.

Sites like paypal are good but they can be easily recreated or "spoofed" to look like the real thing. I am sure that I am not the only one that hates that "Should I have just given out my credit card number?" feeling. If you don't like the way that they are making you pay for the item or if they are asking for too much information to sell you this item, just walk away. You are likely to find the item that you are looking for from another site.

I hope that this helps anyone who reads this have a safer online shopping experience this holiday season.http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2220415,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121