Review Sites – a Tool to Combat Fraudulent Services

How A Review Site Can Help You Avoid Getting Scammed

The more people use the services of online stores, and service websites, the more cases of fraud are detected. Unfortunately, this trend is common both in the USA, the EU, and other countries. Virtual space gives unlimited possibilities for any kind of business, which is used not only by legal companies but also by scammers. There are many schemes of fraud, and most of them are implemented with the help of artificial intelligence, which complicates the effort to fight them from the side of an ordinary man. And yet, it is possible to protect yourself. One of the real ways is to study the reviews of the company on a specialized Internet resource. 

Types of Fraud on the Internet

For more information on the types of online scams, see the article. The table below is based on the information from the indicated source.

 

No.MethodDescription
1.E-mailAn email is received from an authoritative person with a link to malicious content or site. This is how attackers install software on the recipient\’s PC which steals their personal data, passwords, etc.
2.Greeting cardsThis method is effective with users who want to send their relatives and colleagues wishes for birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays. By downloading the card to the device, the user simultaneously downloads the malware, which steals financial and other confidential information
3.Bank cardsIn order to steal information from credit or debit cards, the fraudsters send notifications on behalf of the bank about the decision to issue a credit to the addressee or offer to apply for a new card 
4.Online dating Using the services of such platforms, a person becomes a victim of fraud from people, in intimate acquaintances with whom he or she is interested
5. Lottery winningThe message that informs the addressee about winning the lottery can be received both by phone and email. It will contain information that it is necessary to deposit a certain amount of money to a particular account in order to get a prize. As a result, the addressee remains without a prize, having lost personal funds
6.Offers to share inheritanceA message arrives via the email from an allegedly rich heir who is ready to share his inheritance with the owner of the e-mail address if he remits some money to resolve legal issues

 

These are just some of the fraud scenarios that have serious financial consequences for Internet users who disregard warnings from experts. To protect yourself from fraudulent actions when using an Internet service, you should at least activate a quality antivirus program. 

Fraud with Goods and Services

Quite a few cases of fraud are observed in the sphere of purchase and sale, and provision of services online. This group of frauds can include

  • sale of info products;
  • sale of clothing, consumer goods, food, etc;
  • online casino services;
  • trust funds, etc.

To avoid being deceived, you need to be serious about entering into any transaction in the virtual space – whether it\’s buying underwear or investing in the shares of a well-known company. 

Shopping at Nonexistent Online Stores

Low prices for branded goods attract many customers to fake online stores. They are offered to make a purchase with advance payment, be it a full down payment or just a part of the price. Having received the payment, the scammers change the phone number and disappear.  As a result, the customers are left without the goods, having paid fully or partially for them.

Unlicensed Online Casinos

A good relationship with gambling enthusiasts is neglected by representatives of the gambling industry that do not have a license to provide relevant services. If an online casino has a license to conduct gambling activities, it has no reason to deceive its customers. For such actions, you can lose the document, the registration of which is costly both from a financial point of view and in terms of time. The gambling authority that issues the license accepts complaints from gamblers who have not received their fairly earned winnings in a timely manner. The consequences for the casino for fraudulent actions include a fine and cancellation of the license in the case of repeated violations of the rules. Unlicensed establishments do not adhere to fair operating rules. 

The second variant of fraudulent actions on the part of casinos without a license is cheating gambling. Certified slot machines, such as described at https://www.slotsup.com/online-casinos/slots-empire, operate in accordance with RNG, a technology that ensures the randomness of profitable combination formations. They are regularly tested by independent experts who confirm their fairness. Slots without certificates, which are placed in unlicensed establishments, are not tested by reputable laboratories. The random number generator is not integrated into such slot machines, they do not meet the standards introduced by the international gambling community. 

Mission of Review Sites in the Fight Against Fraud

To prevent fraudulent actions on the part of dishonest casinos and online stores, specialized websites are created on the Internet. Here, users can leave reviews, and share their opinions about the work of online casinos, stores, trust funds, and other service providers. If an online store gets a lot of negative feedback, its services will not be used by potential customers. 

It is important for the user to understand – before making a purchase, or investing in securities in the virtual space, you should enter the name of the store and the word \”reviews\” into the search bar of your browser. The search engine will display sites with reviews of the service, which should be carefully studied. Of course, even the best store can get negative feedback from a customer. If the negative reviews are of a massive nature, the services of the outlet or online casino should not be used.    

Photo by Lindsey LaMont on Unsplash

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