Scam sites

[MaryB]

A common post lately has been "Is this site legit or are they a scammer?" Here are some hints to deciding if they are legit or not.

Do they list an address under contact us or about us? Does google earth street view show them at that address or is it a run down house in the middle of a bad part of town? No address is a massive red flag! Never do business with them. If Google Earth doesn't show a business at the address listed it is another red flag to run away from.

Do a web search for the phone number listed. Does it come up different than the supposed business? Red flag! No phone number? Red flag!

Now for a website to check that business Scam Advisor www.scamadviser.com will let you put the URL of any business in and will give you a trust rating. The higher the number the better! Here is the rating for Brownells https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/brownells.com Note the high trust rating, and we all know they are okay to deal with(if a bit over priced...)

Now for a bad example svadisile.com that came up yesterday:

Google earth the address, street view shows a run down house in a not very nice looking neighborhood, red flag!

Scam Advisor search https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/svadisile.com run away and DO NOT do business with this site!

With the current ammo shortage a LOT of scammers are popping up with trashy looking web sites offering ammo at way to low of prices for the current market. Many are a scam. Might find a new business just starting, but they will have an actual store front on Google Earth, a phone number that comes up as that business and either an okay Scam Advisor trust rating or no rating because they are to new BUT the comments on their website also tell you more about that business. Is it registered on a legit server(good thing) or on one known for scams(red flag)? Is the owners info available or is it hidden(hidden is a red flag). Is the website design decent or just a tossed together mess that has no search engine optimization(red flag!)...

Do your own due diligence! DYODD!!!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Good information and links. Thank you.

DG

[gwpercle]

Thanks ... all help appreciated .

Us older guys not familiar with computer stuff need all the help we can get .
I had no idea that something called google earth existed ... pretty neat thing to have ! I wouldn't know a legit server from a illegal server if it came up and bit my behind .
I only buy from companies I have been doing business with for the last few decades ... places like Midway USA , Midsouth Shooters Supply , Graf's ...etc or Cast Boolits Vendors ... keeps me out of too much trouble .
Gary

[Moleman-]

Excellet advise MaryB. Another tool to use is a google image search for the pictures they use which is also very useful for WTS adds on gunboards. Click on the image to get your dropdown menu, then click on "search with google image" to see if that image can be found elsewhere. Found a decent priced boat/car on craigslist but oddly the foilage in the background isn't native to your region? Do an image search. Lots of time the scammers will just use an image from another sales add. There was recently a fake Marlin site that was loaded with pictures of guns from armslist and gunbroker.

[MrWolf]

Also look at what payments are accepted. You have protection with credit cards, PayPal, etc but nothing with a debit card, bitcoin, etc. I called PayPal yesterday questioning a site that only took PayPal and I had a feeling was a Chinese company. I said I found a discontinued item at a very good price. They basically said they do not keep track of scam companies, etc but will stand behind their guarantee if I do not receive what I ordered then I am not responsible. Plus dollar amount was low enough not to kill me if it falls through.

[farmbif]

where's that "like" button
as Denise is playing an old Natalie Merchant cd of "kind and generous"

[Shawlerbrook]

Great and timely advice above. Thank you .,