London - Crooks may be honing their design skills to make fake websites look ever more convincing - but there is plenty you can do to avoid being tricked online.
Where possible, buy from well-known, high street retailers. If you’ve never heard of a firm, or it is based overseas, be sceptical.
When browsing for goods on Google or another search engine, never assume a website listed high up in search engine results is authentic. Criminals can exploit advertising or links to be ranked near the top, making them appear genuine.
Scrutinise the company name as spelled out in the web browser at the top of the page. One sneaky tactic deployed by fraudsters is to tweak the address to include a brand or product name. Legitimate websites don’t include the names of popular products or a description of their low price.
For example, a site along the lines of cheap-iphone6-apple.com is likely to be worth avoiding.
Double-check that the website has a secure way of paying. If it does, the web address will start with “https://” An image of a tiny padlock should also appear at the foot of your screen.
Spelling mistakes or poor grammar may suggest a website was cobbled together by a rogue.
Finally, read other customers’ reviews on the internet. Bad customer service or tales of rotten rip-offs usually find their way online fairly swiftly. - Daily Mail