How can I Not Get Scammed Online Again?

Detecting Online Scams

Before conducting any type of business with an online organization, it is a very wise idea to make sure that the organization is not a scam. Doing so will not only ensure that you are dealing with a legitimate organization, it will also save you time and money. Scam organizations are designed for the sole purpose of getting money from unsuspecting people. There are a multitude of scam organizations around these days and they are not only found online. Despite the fact that these scam organizations do exist, the good news is that there are ways to detect them before you waste any time or money on them.

The first way to potentially detect an online organization scam is by using the PageRank feature found in the Google toolbar. The PageRank feature gives you a general indication as to how long the organization has been in business. Typically, a well-established company who’s had a website for several years will have a relatively high PageRank. Google normally updates the PageRank every 3 to 4 months, which means a new website will not have a PageRank right away. However, a website without a PageRank does not necessarily indicate that it is a scam so this method can be deceiving at times.

The second and more reliable way to check for an online scam is by performing a WhoIs Lookup. All you need to do to perform a WhoIs Lookup, is simply enter the website address of the online organization you want to check on in the Search text box and then click on the Search button. Then, under the WhoIs Output section, it will display all the information that is found for the website address you entered including the name and address of who the website is registered to, the date it was created and when it was last updated. Generally, if the creation date of the website you entered is several years old, it is a good indicator that the organization is well-established and has a good customer base.

Another way to check whether or not an online organization is a scam is by using the Internet. Through the use of a search engine, such as Google, you can find more information about the organization you are checking. Often times, people will share experiences they’ve had with online scams in forums, on message boards and even in blogs. Of course, anything written about the organization in question in these places should be taken at face value. It is not unheard of for people to make false accusations about online organization so this should always be taken into consideration.

Finally, the last viable method to detect an online scam is by doing a search for the company on the Better Business Bureau website. When doing a company search on the BBB site, you can either enter the name of the organization or the website address of the organization you want to look for. Once you do that and click the Search button, a list of matching companies will be shown. Clicking on the one that matches the one you searched for will bring up a new page displaying who the organization’s website is registered to, when the website was created and most importantly, how many complaints have been filed against the organization. If there are a lot of complaints listed, it is a very clear indicator that the organization in question is more than likely a scam.

With the number of online organizations ever-growing these days, you will undoubtedly encounter some that are scams along the way. Fortunately, there are tools available to help you detect these scams way before they can do you any harm. The most important thing to remember when dealing with online organizations is to be sure that you check for the legitimacy of any organization you intend on doing business with.