Ahead of the 2020 holiday season, Apple, Sony, and Microsoft are launching new gadgets like the iPhone 12, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series S. As expected, online scams centered around these products are already surfacing.
Most of these scams are ‘sales fraud’. The rest of this article will provide clear signs that you should look out for to avoid being scammed when you want to buy the iPhone 12, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, or Xbox Series S.
— Tricky Payment Methods:
One of the first signs that you are about to be a victim of a scam is when you are being offered some untraceable means of payment. Legit online traders only use credit cards or other popular payment methods. Once you start seeing gift cards, bitcoin and others like it, you should tread carefully.
— Fake Websites:
Some scammers go ahead to create a perfect resemblance of legit stores online. Thus, before you buy the iPhone 12 from ‘Amason’ or you pay for the Xbox Series X on ‘ATnT’, ensure you look out for misplaced letters and other misspelled things. These are not mistakes and are intentionally used to catch shoppers off-guard.
Also, ensure that the website you are trying to buy a product from has a closed padlock on its title bar and uses ‘https://’.
— Beware of New Sites:
While this may seem like a lot of work, you can check the date a domain name was created on WHOIS website. If you find that the website is new, it is likely a scam and you should not patronise these kind of online stores.
Also read:
– Time Up! Google Pulls Plug On Play Store Subscription Scams With New Policy
– Kaspersky Uncovers New Facebook COVID-19 Scam, Here Is How To Avoid Getting Scammed
– Next Samsung Smartphone, Galaxy S21 May Not Come With Charger And Earphones
— Avoid Data Thieves:
Data thieves steal your sensitive details and may use it to impersonate you or hack your account. They do this by collecting your details under different guises. For example, if you are trying to buy the PS5 and an untrusted vendor is asking you to fill out information that has nothing to do with shipping, it is likely a scam.
— Don’t Download Malware:
Some scammers will ask you to download some obscure software in order for you to buy a product. This is not the way legit vendors do things. You should not have to download any software to make payments, especially when such software is not on trusted application stores. Most likely, this will be a malware that could compromise your device privacy.
— Compare Prices:
In the haste to purchase new products, you may be hoodwinked into believing just about anything. Thus, it is important to compare prices you are offered. If the price is ridiculously low or outrageously high, you will find out by comparing prices from other sources.
In addition to the tips above; some scammers may be able to game the search engines into putting their links at the top of search results. This is why you should not be buying products from the links that come up when you search, ‘where to buy iPhone 12?’ Instead, visit online stores from their website addresses.
Lastly, don’t rush into mistakes; the iPhone 12, PS5 and Xbox Series S and X are not going anywhere, but when you are in a hurry, your hard-earned money will surely go somewhere.
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