Stay Alert – Watch Out for Fake Online Stores

Scammers create websites that look like popular online stores and may offer great deals on popular items in short supply. Once you pay, they'll either never send you the item, or send you an inferior fake.

One red flag is if an online store does not provide adequate information about privacy, terms and conditions of use, dispute resolution, or contact details. Another red flag is if the seller does not allow payment through a secure payment service such as PayPal or a credit card transaction.

The FTC recommends you take these steps to protect yourself:

• Check out the company before you buy. Search online for the company's name along with words like "scam" or "fraud" to see what issues others might have had.
  
  
• Pay by credit card. If you're charged twice, billed for something you never got, or get a wrong or damaged item, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company.
  
  
• Keep records. Keep track of the company's name and website, any receipts or bank statements showing what you paid, and when they said they'd ship your item. (Sellers have to ship your order by the time they or their ads say they will — or give you the chance to get your money back.)

If an online seller hasn't lived up to its promises, report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.