Kavmerica.com

The most important thing to remember when it comes to not falling for an Internet scam is the old adage “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”.  Sure there are some good deals to be found online but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be getting all sorts of goodies for free.  If you receive an email or visit a site offering a product at an unbelievable price… Be Skeptical!  Here are 5 tips to help you stay scam free this holiday season.

1. Google It:  One excellent (But Not Foolproof) way to check on a vendor is by going to Google and typing in the name of the product and the word “Scam”.  Another variation on this is to type in the name of the website and the word “scam”.  If other people have been ripped off on this product or by this company then chances are they have written about it somewhere online and Google will help you learn from their mistakes.

2. NEVER order from a spam email:  Never order anything from a spam email.  Spam is illegal to begin with, would you buy from a crook?  Try to avoid looking at spam emails all together.  When you view a spam email the image you see is downloaded from a server.  Now that you’ve downloaded something from them they know you are an “avid” reader of spam and you’re likely to get increasing amounts of spam in the future.  So just don’t do it!

3.  Check your Credit:  It is free to look at your credit report.  100% free, it’s the law in fact.  The three major credit reporting agencies created AnnualCreditReport.com so that they could comply with federal law which requires them to make your credit report available to you once a year.  Take advantage of this free service but be careful not to let them sell you any extras.

4. Go Directly to the Website:  If you receive an email from your bank or other institution asking you to click on a link to confirm some information, DO NOT DO IT!  Your bank should not ask you to do this.  Call your bank and ask if they require any additional information.  If you want to check quickly then open up your web browser and type in the web address for the bank yourself.  You want to type it in yourself because that link in the email could be sending you anywhere.  For example, this link here www.Kavmerica.com It takes you to Kavmerica.com, right?  WRONG, it takes you to Kavmericaforums.com.  The same tactic is employed by scam artists to take you to malicious websites to steal your information.

5. BBB.org:  The Better Business Bureau is a great place to get information about companies.  They even have a section where you can type in a web address instead of the company name.  If nothing comes up in the web address section try the company’s real physical address, you should be able to find it in their “contact us” or “about us” section.  These sections are typically located at the bottom of their website, sometimes in a smaller font.

Good Luck and Happy Shopping!