How to spot a fake online store in 5 easy steps

One of the most prevalent scams on the internet is fake online stores. If you’re an online shopper, you need to be especially careful. Luckily, you can spot a fake online store if you know what to look for.

In this article, we’re going to over some easy steps to confirm that the site you’re visiting is real — before you click “Buy now.”

Can you tell a fake online store from a real one?

One reason fake websites continue to trick countless numbers of people is because of a cybercrime known as “phishing” or “spoofing.” In this context, it’s when a crook sets up a website that looks identical to a reputable institution.

The damage can seldom be undone if you enter your personal information onto a bogus site. You could have your bank account drained or even have your identity stolen.

It used to be that you could tell a legit website from the “HTTPS,” in the address bar. But research from cybersecurity firm Phishlabs indicates that more than half of phishing sites use HTTPS. The truth, they say, is:

Just because a site has HTTPS doesn’t mean you can trust it unequivocally.

Given the state of internet security, you may be wondering what can an ordinary online shopper do to feel safe before a purchase?

Here are 5 steps to spot a fake online store

1. Scrutinize the URL

Some fraudulent sites have URLS that look just like those of legit websites — at first glance. Before giving any of your personal information like your credit card number, study the URL.

If you used a search engine to get to the site, always look in the address bar to confirm that you are on the correct place.

2. Use a website checker

You can check the legitimacy of any website by using online verification services. Here are two sites that do just that:

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• Go to UrlVoid.com and enter the website’s URL into the bar. After that, you can see all kinds of details about the site. UrlVoid.com generates a threat analysis, a safety report and runs the suspicious website through multiple blacklists to see if any warning signs pop up.
• Go to Google Transparency Report, which can tell you how safe a website is. Once you’re on the homepage, just click “Site Status” and enter the URL in the search bar.

For a deep dive on site security, explore the Transparency Report’s research on phishing, content delisting and safe browsing.

3. Hover over the address bar

In addition to studying the URL you’ll want to look for a green address bar or padlock. This signifies that the site has been verified.

It’s true, some phishing sites have been able to replicate the padlock icon in the address bar. But clicking the padlock can still tell you some valuable information about a site.

Chrome, Firebox and other major browsers have security checks in place to tell you whether a site can be trusted. Chrome, for example, tells you how many cookies the site has, the status of its certificate and more.

4. Rely on your browser

If you keep your browser updated and have antivirus software on your computer, it should tell you when you’ve run across an unsafe site. Listen to it!

If you see a “Not Secure” warning on your screen, back out of the site or close the page immediately.

5. Look for a trust seal

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Trust seals or trust badges aren’t just for decoration. Whether it’s from the Better Business Bureau, PayPal or Google, trust seals are what tell online shoppers and other users that they can make secure transactions.

Here’s the thing: If an e-commerce site doesn’t have a trust seal, be leery of it.

In summary

Hackers and scammers are constantly coming up with ways to trick even the most capable browsers these days.

Using the internet safely involves a focused effort on your part to be aware of phishing sites and other scams. Some other telltale signs that a website may be fake are:

• Bad grammar
• No contact page
• No refund policy

If you run across a fake website or malware, you can report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, send an email to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency as well as tell these internet companies:

When shopping online, remember to always heed cybersecurity warnings, be smart and be cautious when you sense something isn’t right.

Want to learn more about how to safeguard yourself online? Check out Clark’s Free Virus, Spyware & Malware Protection Guide.

How to spot and avoid fake product reviews on Amazon

Fake product reviews have become a big problem on online retail sites like Amazon, according to money expert Clark Howard.

The consumer advocate points to numerous reports that indicate that the world’s largest online retailer is rife with fake reviews. But how can you tell if a review is bogus?

Fake Amazon reviews: Here’s how to tell

We’ve compiled some ways for you to spot and avoid fake online reviews. But first, here’s what Clark says on the issue:

“Our consumer behavior as a buyer is so influenced by reviews that now there are people, who all they do full time is earn a living by writing fake reviews,” Clark says.

Clark says that the issue of bogus reviews has become so commonplace that a cottage industry has emerged to help facilitate it.

“A lot of companies that are trying to get a product sold in the marketplace, or get you into a restaurant or get you to stay at a particular pace, they’re contracting with these organizations,” he says.

6 ways to spot fake Amazon reviews

Because it’s so hard to tell whether we’re reading an authentic review or not, here are some ways to decipher the real from the fake:

1. FakeSpot.com

FakeSpot.com lets you paste the URL of a review so that it can be analyzed. While it was originally built around Amazon, the site has expanded to other retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy.

Clark says this about FakeSpot.com’s ability to sniff out a fake review: “They’re not always successful at it, but it’s a help.”

Get the FakeSpot browser plugin for Chrome and Mozilla as well as the app for Android and iOS.

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2. ReviewMeta

Like FakeSpot, ReviewMeta lets you copy and paste the review link to view its credibility. The premise behind the site is not so much to decipher fake reviews, but to help shoppers uncover bias in reviews, which can be just as damaging to consumers.

ReviewMeta has a “Pass,” Fail” or “Warn” system that it uses to gauge reviews. Here’s what the site says about that:

“PASS/FAIL/WARN does NOT indicate presence or absence of ‘fake’ reviews.”

Get the ReviewMeta browser extension as well as the app for Android and iOS.

3. Watch for typos and bad grammar

Another way you can spot a fake online review is to look out for typos and bad grammar.

It’s not that every reviewer has perfect typing skills or a high education level, it’s just that online reviews are littered with sentences that seem to come straight out of a translation website. Those reviews could be fake!

4. Beware overly positive reviews

If a product review is superb in every way and the accolades seem too good to be true, a lot of times they are. This overly positive review is often accompanied with a perfect rating that may seem impossible to achieve.

5. Be suspicious of the bland and general

Some reviews are so general that you can’t even tell what the product does or is from the way it’s written. This could be a telltale sign that the review is artificially generated.

6. Look at the reviewer

Another good way to sniff out a fake review is to spot a fake reviewer. Click on the reviewer’s profile to see if they’ve written any other reviews or if they’re simply copying and pasting the same reviews on different products.

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Also, if you’re considering a purchase from a reseller in a marketplace site like Amazon or eBay, make sure you only buy from vendors with a 98% or higher seller rating.

Bottom line

As a thoughtful consumer, it’s ultimately up to you to scrutinize reviews before you buy a product or service. Here’s what Clark says:

“You and I have to understand that whether you’re looking at a place to eat, a place to sleep, a place to shop, or an item to shop for, that the odds are very strong if not overwhelming that the reviews that are being posted are bogus and you and I have to be the cops on the beat.”

If you run across a fake review online, file a consumer complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission or call the agency at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

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5 ways to spot fake work-from-home jobs

Work-from-home jobs can provide the flexibility that you need, but can you spot the scams out there? Team Clark wants you to have the tools to avoid these ripoffs!

Brie Reynolds from FlexJobs provided us with five ways to avoid these fake jobs. Let’s get to the list…

1. Never pay for an interview

The company may want you to pay them to train you, purchase software or invest in some way in order to get the job. Legitimate companies won’t make you spend money in order to work for them.

Often, legit job postings will list the equipment or specific software you need or provide it as a part of training once you are hired. You can usually find this information in the job listing.

2. Watch out for the type of interview the company offers

Usually, companies will do in-person, phone or video chat interviews. If the business you apply to only wants to conduct interviews via online chat, be careful.

A huge red flag for instant message interviews is when the company doesn’t ask many in-depth questions about your skills or offers you the job immediately.

Pressuring you to accept their offer quickly is another bad sign. A scammer might try to get you to act without thinking, so always take a step back and consider if this offer is too good to be true.

However, some major companies like Amazon have been known to do chat interviews with people interviewing for specific customer service positions. Doing a lot of research about the company before they interview you is vital, especially if they only want to conduct interviews over chat.

3. Look for a detailed job description

Real jobs need people with specific skills, so companies will lay them out in a real listing. If a job description looks vague, only highlights benefits or has noticeable grammatical errors, it’s likely illegitimate.

Benefits highlighted will usually be things like how much money you’ll get for relatively little work.

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Another red flag here could be a lack of responsibilities listed in the posting. A real company will tell you what work they expect you to perform as an employee.

4. Research the company!

This is extremely important during any job hunt. Typing the company name and the word “scam” into a search engine is a simple way to find out if a company is legitimate.

You should be able to find reports from the FBI or FTC and Better Business Bureau ratings. You can also look for forums where people post experiences with a company.

A company’s website can also tell you if they’re legit or not with a quick glance. If it has grammatical errors or weird punctuation scattered throughout, it’s probably fake.

5. Ask a lot of questions

Another simple and effective way to spot a scam is to ask questions like:

• Why did this position become available?
• What are the key qualifications?
• How long has the business existed?
• Who are some of your clients?

If you get a bad feeling or the interviewer struggles to answer, you probably want to ditch this company.

Final thought

Above all, trust your gut. If you think something is fishy for even a moment: Stop, think and research. If after that the company still seems like it might not be legit, don’t be afraid to walk away from it.

There are work-from-home jobs available from real companies and plenty of ways to find them, including our work-from-home guide and more information about FlexJobs.com.

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How to spot hidden resort fees when you’re booking travel

When you’re shopping online for a travel deal to a vacation getaway, it’s common to be lured in by a price. After all, many of us choose our destination based on how much it will cost us.

But a number of travel resorts have taken to listing a bare-bones price online only to inflate it with various fees when it’s time to click the “buy” button.

In this article, we’re going to show you how to spot, track and avoid hidden resort fees.

How to spot hidden resort fees

Money expert Clark Howard says that hidden fees are as numerous as hotel rooms at a tourist destination. These extra charges can be found on your bill by looking for words like “administrative fee,” “amenities fee” or “resort fee.”

Clark says this is how a typical resort pricing trick works:

“You’ll be told the rate would be $175 a night, but then you get there and there’d be another $20 a night to pay for the amenities of the place, like the fancy pool or whatever,” Clark says in his podcast.

In many cases, when you’re booking online, you’ll have to look closely to compare the quoted price with the final tally at checkout.

You see a resort package that you like:

Wow, $1,332! Great price, right? For two people, that’s $2,662. And that’s how it shows up on screen.

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But when you go to make the purchase…

The total jumps up to $2,702! Now, for some people those extra charges may not be a lot, but others may be wondering what’s going on.

We did a deep dive into the hidden resort fees and associated charges and here’s what we found:

Common tax and service fees

• Sales tax: The usual tax imposed on the sale of a product or service
• Excise tax: Levied by the government on certain services and products
• Value added tax: A value added tax (VAT) is usually a percentage of the total cost added to the sum
• Hotel to resort transportation: That ride from and to the airport may end up on your final bill
• Processing service fee: Fee for processing your reservation
• Security deposit: An amount of money paid upfront to cover damages or reservation
• Fuel surcharge: If applicable, this fee is a reimbursement for gas expenses

Of course, you could also incur other charges (safe fees, Wi-Fi fees) from the service or activity provider that are not even included in the quoted price.

2 steps to track hidden resort fees when you book online

Clark says before you click “purchase,” on a resort trip, double check the prices every step of the online process.

1. Double check the prices: “Take one extra step with any hotel you’re thinking of booking. What you want to know is if there are any junk fees,” he says.
2. Call the hotel directly: Before you book a hotel reservation, contact your hotel directly and ask them about the fees they add on in addition to the room rate. Let them know what price you’ve been quoted online by a third party — you may be able to negotiate some of those fees and get a better price by booking direct!

The travel industry isn’t the only one with sneaky fees. See other areas where hidden fees could be costing you thousands.

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