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5 red flags that shopping site is fake

That online deal may look tempting, but a few warning signs can reveal a fake shopping site before you hand over your money or personal information

Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash

Online shopping makes it ridiculously easy to find almost anything you want. A few taps can bring up shoes, electronics, furniture and some oddly specific products you never knew existed. The convenience is hard to beat.

There is a catch. Not every shopping site that looks legitimate actually is.

Fake online stores can copy the appearance, language and branding of real retailers closely enough to fool shoppers who are simply trying to grab a good deal. Some may take your money and never send the product. Others may be designed to collect payment or personal information.

Reader’s Digest outlined several warning signs that can help shoppers recognize a questionable site before checking out. None of these clues should be treated as an automatic verdict on their own. A legitimate site can have an awkward page or an unusual promotion. But when several warning signs show up together, it is probably time to slow down.

That is especially important when the deal seems almost absurdly good. A massive discount can make common sense temporarily disappear. Suddenly, paying $200 for something that normally costs $800 feels less suspicious and more like destiny.

A little skepticism can help.

Checking the web address, looking at the site's security, examining reviews and paying attention to how the site communicates can all give you more information before you buy. 

Here are five red flags that likely deserve your attention.

The website address looks almost right, but not quite

One of the fastest ways to check a shopping site is to look at its URL. Reader’s Digest says a web address that differs from the company’s official URL can be a major warning sign.

Scammers may create addresses that closely resemble legitimate ones. The difference can be surprisingly subtle. A letter might be replaced with a number, or the address may include extra words designed to make the site sound official.

That means a quick glance is not always enough. You might recognize the........

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