Online shopping gained more popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most businesses worldwide shut their brick-and-mortar stores and shifted online to carry out their operations.

Research shows that more than 263 million people in the U.S shop online, which accounts for 80% of the American population. Researchers argue that over 291 million people in the U.S will purchase products and services online by 2025.

Although advanced technologies have made life easier, they also paved the path for scammers. For instance, hackers, scammers, and cybercriminals use cutting-edge technology to create and launch fake websites, including retail shops.

These sites look legitimate and attract people to purchase products or services. The reason is that they have good layouts, minimalistic designs, and premium-quality logos (possibly stolen logos). In several Cyber-forensics.net Reviews, we came across several people who had fallen for such scams, but they eventually got help.

In addition, some websites even have domain names like abc.com.uk, com.nz, com.au, and com.us. Because these domain names look genuine, scammers easily trap consumers and steal their money and sensitive information without delivering the products or services.

According to AARP, 29% of consumers above 50 became victims of online shopping scams. It starts with a fake website, smartphone app, and social media advertisements.

Another research study highlights that 40% of online scams, particularly retail-related scams, originate from social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Therefore, consumers must follow a careful approach to recognize fake or bogus websites or social media ads to prevent the risk of scams. Today's article will give you essential details. Read on!

How to Recognize a Fake Shopping Website?

Shopping on a bogus online platform can cause severe consequences for consumers. For example, you enter your personal and financial information when buying a product or service from a website.

While you don't receive the desired product, the scammer steals your sensitive data and misuses it. At the same time, clicking an ad on unsecured websites, such as those that sell pirated digital products or torrents, can infect your PC, laptop, or smartphone with malware.

Therefore, you must identify red flags to prevent scammers from stealing your information/data or infecting your device with a virus. Let us now discuss how you can recognize a fake or bogus website.

Focus on the Address Bar

Focusing on the address bar means looking for the website's security. For example, the site is secure if the website has "https" at the beginning of the address. On the other hand, if there is no "S" at the end of the "http," it is not secure and may infect your device with malware or virus.

"Https" indicates the website uses standard security protocols and encryption methods to protect sensitive data and prevent hackers from stealing it. Although "https" means the website is secure, it does not indicate genuineness or authenticity. Therefore, considering other factors is crucial.

Pay Attention to Contact Information

Contact information is another factor to consider when determining whether the shopping platform is legit. Ask yourself the following questions before submitting sensitive information, such as a credit card number or placing an order.

Does the website have an "About Us" page?

Does the website have appropriate contact information?

Is the contact information correct?

Does the company/platform mention its phone number, email, and physical address?

Does it offer live chat support?

Do I get a traditional/generic email form?

Do I get prerecorded voice mail?

Answering these questions won't fully determine the legitimacy of a shopping website, but it will help you get an idea. Remember, some websites use live chat support, but a digital robot or preprogrammed algorithm gives generic answers to your questions. If such is the case, the chances are that the website is fake. Make sure a real person answers your questions.

Check the Domain Name

Scammers and cybercriminals mimic popular websites and change an alphabet or number in the domain name to fool consumers. For example, the original website is Amazon.com. You may see a website with a domain name like Amaz0n.com.

Similarly, Yahoo.com is the original domain name so the scammer may create a website with a domain name like Yah00.com. Therefore, you must keep an eye on the domain name and if something looks suspicious, make sure you block the website and never open it in your browser.

A Lack of Intuitive Website Design

A popular business or brand has an intuitive, user-friendly, and mobile-responsive website design with accurate information and well-structured pages for products/services, About Us, and contact information.

Check whether the website uses original images or stock photos on its products' pages. The simple way is to download the image and upload it to "Google Images." Finding the same image on several websites means the product you want to buy is fake or does not exist.

In addition, read the content and check for grammar and spelling. If there are too many mistakes or grammatical errors, make sure you avoid buying from such as platform because genuine companies spend thousands of dollars creating engaging, accurate, and original content.

Read Reviews on Third-Party Sites

Research shows that 84% of consumers read online reviews on third-party websites like Yelp or Google before buying a product or service. Although most shopping platforms have reviews on their websites, they could be fake. Therefore, check third-party websites for reviews to see what previous or other customers say about the platform. During our investigation, we came across a large number of Cyber-Forensics.net Reviews that amply supported the company and assured users of the legitimacy of their offerings.

Hire Cyber-Forensics.Net

While you can use multiple ways to determine whether the website is legit, if you have already been a victim of cybercrime, you can use Cyber Forensics services to trace down scammers, hackers, and cybercriminals.

Cyber Forensics.net has a team of qualified and experienced professionals with extensive knowledge of cyber security and digital forensics. They can help you recover funds and negotiate on your behalf for a settlement. Contact them today for more information!