To continue our previous post, I wanted to address something that floats on the other end of the spectrum: Scams. They are everywhere and especially popular during the Holidays.
Here are some things to think about when making your next online purchase:
If the deal seems too good to be true; it is.
Having previously worked as a Customer Service Team Lead at a large online retailer; I have seen my fair share of scams. One in particular though stood out because the only form of payment they’d accept for the high-value items listed on the website was through XBox Live Gift Cards for the higher increments of 30 and 50 dollars.
Basically, a customer would see a Rolex listed on the fake site for $30.00 (way too good to be true). During the payment phase of the checkout process, you were immediately re-directed to the online retailer’s website to purchase an Xbox Live Gift Card and were forced to input the claim code (essentially activating the card so the code cannot be used again) before you could finalize your purchase.
Once the checkout process had finished; the scammers would take the Xbox Gift cards and most likely re-sell them. Every victim I had spoken to NEVER received the item they paid for.
If something seems fishy; it probably is.
Some may see this as paranoid, but it is always a good idea to double check yourself if you feel something isn’t right.
Every time I feel uneasy about a potential transaction, I automatically go to Google.
If there is a company name attached to this transaction; Google it. If you can’t find a name, copy and paste the URL into Google and search it. It only takes a few seconds to protect yourself. When conducting the search, if indeed your hunch is right, you’ll see other consumers asking about the same website within the first few search results.