Buying on internet. - It seems that there are more and more fake websites appearing and looking very similar as the 'original' ones come around.

Usually one gets there through a phishing link in an email, one reason i try to avoid going places via email links. In Holland there just was an item on the news showing almost identical but fake login pages from banks, and some larger internet stores. Mentioned was as cause of this recent increase, that there were new software tools (on the 'darkweb'?) around facilitating the building of fake websites.

I almost never buy anything anymore without Paypal or VISA etc, as usual you are safer there. I had an event with a nasty ebay seller; did not look too close at the checkout details when i went for 'buy it now', and all of a sudden i was charged $300 'shipping' costs for an online software package to download myself from a software manufacturer.

Seller refused returns, in an insulting manner even saying a deal is a deal, and i had to get eBay involved. They took my side, reverted the transaction. Ebay told me they removed the seller etc. and it seems Paypal blocked his money withdrawal. 2 days later it seemed the seller was active again, reported him again, don't know how that ended yet. -F

Yes, though your transaction was a good reason for contacting eBay, I have been at the other end of the transaction.

I had someone take parts off an item he must have needed then return it because "the item was not as described." eBay sided with the purchaser and I lost.

I decided not to continue selling.

...Deb

One for sure has to be careful. A few days ago I saw on the news that it is estimated that there are about 14000 fake shops targeting just the small Danish market. Scary stuff.

Will

Never-ever click a link in e-mail.

If it looks like it came from my bank, I'll ignore the link in the e-mail and go directly to the bank site I have previously bookmarked.

If it looks like it came from one of the stores I shop at, I go about it the same way.

If it looks like it came from a friend of mine, I'll contact them first to see if they actually sent the link. After all their address could have been spoofed.

If it is from someone I don't recognize, no matter how good the deal looks, or anything else, it just goes in the trash.

As far as ebay is concerned, always read the fine print. I don't do a lot of ebay, but what I have bought and sold have always been good transactions.

You have to think like everybody is out to get you and exercise that proverbial ounce of prevention. Most of the time you will be wrong, and the e-mail is legit. But if you check on 99 legit links and find one suspect and don't download the malware, you have saved yourself a lot of time and misery.

Insights and incites by Notes

If one uses only a modicum of common sense (as alluded to in the above responses) on the net I find it no more risky than handing one’s credit card to a stranger at a restaurant. And how much do we worry about that?

Bud

Like many of us, I have more than one credit card. I have one card that I use for Internet purchases and nothing else. It makes it easy for me to monitor the purchases on the card to make sure they are legit.

This card has never had a problem.

I had another card that I use very infrequently. I made a telephone purchase, and a week later I got an e-mail from the card issuer asking me about a sale. Not wanting to click the e-mail (possible phishing) I called the number on the back of the card.

Yes the e-mail was legit. No, it wasn't me, and the person who stole the card number actually made a few more purchases with it. No problem, the company removed the charges, cancelled the card, and is sending me a new one.

As long as you keep an eye on your statements and your credit card has zero liability (most if not all do) you won't lose money. At most it will be a PITA.

I read stories in a computer e-zine where employees in a retail store pretended to answer the phone after you handed them your card, and instead used the phone to take a picture of the card. All they had to do next was memorize the security code on the back and before you know it, your card was maxed out.

As Bud indicated, common sense should be used, but even then you only minimize the risk. Thankfully as long as you pay attention and report problems quickly, you aren't going to be in trouble.

Insights and incites by Notes

There's definitely lots of scams out there. I feel if you exercise general caution and know what to look for, it is fine. I've thankfully never been a victim to it yet (knock on wood).

I pretty much agree with what Deryk has to say. They have made it difficult to spot a fake, but if you pay careful attention and know what to look out for you should be OK.

Yep there are many nasties about. In Australia we have a bank Westpac, some years ago an organisation set up a site VVestpac. (That is a double V not a W). The WEB site had the same look and feel as the real thing. Whilst it did not last long it was able to get some. This sort of thing goes on a fair bit. It almost looks real but is not. How do you overcome it? Be very careful.