Good Lifestyle

By clicking on a button, you can have products delivered to your home in no time and the convenience of online shopping made it accessible to anyone with a device. According to data from Yaguara , a platform that presents market data for electronic commerce companies, 275 million people in the United States (AKA more than 81% of the total population) online shop.

But, while online purchases have its advantages (discounts for comparison purchases and fast shipping), you can be targeted with scams and false offers. In 2021, the world market for detecting and prevention of electronic trade fraud was estimated at $ 36.7 billion, according to Statist , and this is expected to increase in the coming years, exceeding the $ 100 billion mark by 2027.

Although this is an alarming figure, You can protect yourself from false online offers and scams by following these expert tips.

In relation: How to locate a credit card skimmer .

1. Always check the return policies

Before buying anything, always read the return and exchange policy. You don't want to get stuck with something you don't want or you have to pay significant costs to come back. You would be surprised at the number of companies that return the hassle, which can be a red flag.

"I like to familiarize myself with return policies", expert in intelligent purchase Trae Bodge with Truetrae.com said. "Can you return something for free, or is there a charge? How long do you have to return something? Sometimes companies swindle buyers by making the return impossible."

2. Do not fall for false gifts

Beware of gifts. If it is an unreliable site, your personal information could be stolen.

"Guns sites often try to get your personal information or encourage you to enter your credit card or other payment data, even for products announced as free," explains Shelley Hunter, founder of Consumer guide on gift cards .

"You may see an offer for free printable fonts or photos, or a free gift card. But to get the gift, you need to enter your credit card information to prove that you are a person."

To avoid becoming a victim, Hunter advises the site search with scamadvisor.com or doing a quick search to see if someone reported it as a scam.

In relation: How to protect your iPhone from new pirates .

3. Highlight yourself from sponsored sites to avoid scope-card scammers

Gift cards are easy and popular gifts that crooks love. They create false sites designed to appear legitimate, with logos and arrangements that have a striking resemblance to the site to which you think you are connected.

"To increase the number of visitors, the crooks offer specific keywords linked to the activation sites of legitimate gift cards, ensuring that their false websites appear at the top of the results of search engines," explains Hunter.

The scam occurs when the card is activated and you enter the card number and the pin. "Once you have entered this information on a scam site, the crooks will immediately steal the value of the gift card and use it for their advantage."

But there is a way to protect yourself from scope-card scams:

• Manually type the full address "without letting the search engine finish it", explains Hunter. "The crooks create sites with similar URLs to go wrong, so make sure you type the exact address can help you avoid these false sites."
• Log from sponsored websites. "Schools often pay for their false websites to exceed legitimate in research results," said Hunter. "Avoid sponsored links reduces the risk of landing on a fraudulent site."
• Always use QR codes or direct links, says Hunter. "Use a QR code or another direct link to the gift card activation page to minimize the risk of distorting the URL or selecting a fraudulent link."
• Finally, you can carefully compare URLs to help prevent the flight of gift cards. "Always compare the URL which appears with that listed at the back of the plastic gift card. If the URLs do not correspond exactly, it is a red flag," explains Hunter.

If in doubt, call the phone number on the gift card to get help.

4. Search for unknown sellers

It can be risky to shop with an unknown business or seller, but Bodge recommends checking them on Trustpilot or the Better Business Office before your purchase. "I also like to read the comments on their social messages, which can be very revealing," she said.

In relation: 6 best coupons and offers if you are over 55 years old .

5. Buy safe

Look at the payment options before buying anything to make sure that there are secure methods.

"I suggest avoiding paying with your debit card, because it is not as secure as paying by credit card," explains Bodge. "Also, never send wire species or transfers, and if someone you ask to buy a gift card and pay with it, run, don't walk. It has become a classic scam."

6. Don't pay for cash concert tickets

The music festivals season is there, and many groups are on tour this summer. Traveling to see your favorite artist has increased in popularity, according to a recent Bread financial survey , Said Bodge. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"Almost two out of five, Gen Z and Millennial travelers spent between $ 500 and $ 5,000 + on tickets alone for live destination events."

But it can be worrying.

"If you buy concert tickets outside traditional platforms, such as ticketmaster, pay attention to cash or gift cards payment requests, or by paying another way that is not secure."

In relation: The best 20 and worst states to obtain concert tickets .

7. SMS or emails

Often, the brands will send an SMS or an email to alert you an early sale, but Bodge warns to be careful.

"If the offers are too generous, read them carefully to search for spelling errors, funky appearance URLs, etc. and if you click on a link and your messaging server lifts a red flag, you should remove."

Hunter also advises buyers to wake up unexpected messages.

"You can get an SMS saying that your delivery is retained at customs due to an unlikely shipping address or that USPS or UPS tries to deliver a package but needs your correct address," she said.

"These scams encourage you to provide personal information and make a payment."

Delete the message or hang up, especially if you don't anticipate a delivery, says Hunter.