GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – As people continue to hunt down necessities like Clorox wipes and toilet paper through online stores, it’s important to make sure the sellers are legitimate. Fake sellers set up shop with online storefronts that may look legitimate, but disappear just as quickly as they pop up in your inbox.
“As fast as they are created they’re taken down,” says Susan Bach of the Better Business Bureau, “It’s a little bit like whack a mole trying to keep up with all of the websites that are being created and scamming people and then going away very quickly.”
It’s important to do some investigating before placing items in your cart. Check how old the website is, find reviews, and dig into whether the company address is a real place. Research the quick history of a brand. If you can’t find it, it’s likely not real.
“Google that address and make sure that there is really an office building or something there. It may be a a residential home, and that would be a huge red flag,” Bach tells WTAQ News, “You probably should choose a more established website so to check the age of a domain you can go to websites like WhoIs.net – and see when that website was created.”
It’s also a good idea to double check your security while browsing online stores.
“If you’re ever shopping online and you’re entering personal information like your credit card number you want to make sure that it’s a secure website so it should start with H. T. T. P. S. because the S. stands for secure,” Bach says, “A credit card offers more consumer protections than say a debit card or prepaid card because you can always file a dispute with your credit card company.”
If you receive an email from an online store, it’s usually a place you’re familiar with that is offering some kind of deal. Those businesses also likely have your information, like your name and credit card, on file – and often personalize emails.
“If the email that you receive lacks any kind of personalization or it has a very generic salutation like dear Sir or madam, you can be very skeptical that it might be from a scammer,” Bach says.
Check a business at BBB.org. Whether the website offers face masks or toilet paper, verify its legitimacy before you make a purchase or provide your personal information.
