In the all expanding digital world scams through the internet are becoming more complex. Many believe that the internet is official and don’t think to second guess a purchase via a website providing a product that shows to have good reviews. The more expensive an item is that you are purchasing the less you think of it being a scam.
Unfortunately, my family was the victim to a car sales website scam. Everything seemed to be official and look real. The website was articulated to have the front of a dealership, you were able to choose from a multitude of cars, change the colors of the cars, and they had options for downpayments and delivery. The scammer wanted the credit card info inputted when a person tried to purchase the car so he could take the money and block the person because they put in their phone number and email. Fortunately, the bank had called asking about what the money was being moved for and what website was the purchase being made off of. Once they got the information the bank has said that it was a scam and the dealership was not a real place.
To undrstand whether or not an online store is a scam you can verify if the store is real through a search engine or ask others whether or not they have heard of the store. You may also see any available number or addresses and check them look up the address on maps, or call the number and see their customer service. Look on reddit to see if someone has made a post about the site. If you still are unsure or very doubtful of the site then trust your gut. If you feel like it is not a smart or safe idea to make a purchase from that site then don’t, the internet is so vast you are sure to find a site you feel comfortable purchasing items from.
Bob Evans
👍🏽
brios
Thank you for the thumbs up! I hope you enjoyed and learned valuable information to keep yourself safe in the future.
Cameron
There are a lot of scammers out there, I almost fell for this same thing several years ago
brios
It is definitely important to take information like this into mind in the near future as AI gets better.
Savannah Jordan
This is such an important reminder, especially with how convincing scams have become. It’s scary how realistic some of these websites look now. They’re designed to build trust quickly and take advantage of it. I’m really glad your bank caught it in time. Sharing real experiences like this is what helps others slow down and double-check before making big purchases. Verifying businesses, looking up reviews outside the site, and trusting your instincts are huge. Thanks for putting this out there. It could save someone a lot of money and stress!
brios
For sure! I appreciate the appreciation, scams are adapting to the landscape of the world right now and people are finding better ways to write themselves off as real. Especially with how free the internet is there is nothing stopping anyone from creating a scam site.
Nakia Rios
Honestly, this hits close to home because I’ve almost fallen for something similar. These scammers are getting way too good at making everything look legit, especially with big purchases like cars where you assume there’s more credibility. The part about checking addresses, calling numbers, and even searching Reddit is so real. Those extra steps can make all the difference. Appreciate you sharing this, because a lot of people don’t realize how easy it is to get caught up in something like this until it’s too late.
brios
Remember to keep those extra steps in mind, they may save you you ever get close to falling for something like that again.