You can be assured Techie-Buzz is 100% real. You can see it right here and there is little motivation for anyone to create a fake website reporting news in technology. Not so in the retail market it seems.
This week, the Metropolitan police have shut down over 2,000 online stores. This is an effort to stop the sales of counterfeit goods and the outright stealing from consumers who pay for what they think is a great deal, only to never receive those goods. This is the biggest police action on fraudulent websites since early 2010 when over 1800 were taken offline.
Just like those fake Apple stores that popped up in China, these websites seek to appear to sell big brands, but in fact either sell fake goods, or worse, no goods at all! Consumers are attracted to the store as they pose as an outlet or discounted version of the brand. Nike, Tiffany, UGG, and GHD have been targeted according to the Metropolitan police e-crimes unit. Most of these sites have been set up for no reason than to collect
your banking details or use your credit card elsewhere; so it’s a good time of year to be cautious when shopping for deals online, especially since it’s holiday season.
Image courtesy: research.zscaler.com
It seems that shutting these websites down is no straightforward task either, law enforcement agencies are working with domain registrars to cease the websites from trading and try locate the people responsible.
As a Techie-Buzz reader, you’ll be experienced at buying things from websites, but during the holiday season, when spending is at its highest, perhaps we’re all a little more susceptible to buying from a new site with a great deal?
Police are advising the use of only 1 credit card, with a smaller limit for your online transactions which sounds like good, practical advice. In addition we may want to consider the reputation and credentials of any new shopping site.
It may sound like obvious advice in this day and age, but it seems that the online fraudsters are getting better every year. The fake Apple stores in China, which we all thought to be a laughable concept, were in fact incredibly detailed in their creation right down to the customer service help badges. Fake websites will have the same strategy, they know what the hallmarks of trust are certifications, visa symbols, privacy
policies and so on. So it may be worth a second look and a little research elsewhere when using new retail websites this holiday season!
About the Author:
Kathryn writes for www.discounts.ca – they specialize in coupons for consumers in Canada.
