Whenever you start shopping online, you must be skeptical of anything you see and read. Just because it is on the Internet, doesn’t make it true. When you read about deals and other offers found on different websites always take a more skeptical approach to them. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Often phony websites will try to trick consumers and lure them in with promises that they never intend to keep. The purpose of these promises is to trick you into handing over your credit card number and sometimes much more.
- Before you shop at a new website, head online and see what others are saying about it before you ever enter your credit card number. If a site has a lot of bad reviews or scam warnings, it is a safe bet that you should stay away from it at all costs.
- Check the ratings of a website with the Better Business Bureau and other consumer protection agencies to try to determine if a website is legit or not.
- Hit up social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter to find out if any of your friends have visited the site and used it to purchase goods. If they haven’t, then you may want to consider looking elsewhere for a good deal.
- If you have suspicions about a website or an offer on a site, feel free to call the site’s customer support number and ask questions about it. If they cannot give you satisfactory answers, then shop somewhere else.
- If there is no phone number or address posted on the website, then you should take your business elsewhere.
There is nothing wrong with being skeptical when it comes to shopping online. Remember, it is up to you to protect yourself while shopping online so there is nothing wrong with viewing unknown sites or deals with a little skepticism. While the deal you are viewing may end up being true, you should view it with suspicion first and then do your homework to find out if it is the real deal or not. In the end, your suspicions is your best defense against fake ads and scams that can easily arrive at your door through the Internet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I spot bad or fake deals?
This takes a little practice, but after you spend a little time shopping online you will easily recognize the good deals from the fake ones. A good rule of thumb is if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it isn’t and you should move on. Just keep that in the back of your head at all times while you are shopping and looking for good deals.
I accidentally clicked on a fake deal and now my computer isn’t running properly. What do I do?
In this case, you have fallen victim to a phishing scam designed to infect your computer with malware. Run a virus scan on your computer to remove the malware and never visit that site again.
People say the deal is real, but I still have doubts. What should I do?
If enough people say the deal is real, there is a good chance it is, but there is no way for you to know for sure. If you are still having doubts about a particular deal at a site, it is probably best if you let that deal go by and look for something else instead.