I love saving money as much as the next person, and buying big-ticket items used is a good way to do it. Facebook Marketplace is a super easy way to score deals near you … but there are certain things you should stay far away from.
How to spot a fake retail website before you buy
I got a question this week from Janet in Idaho. She was scrolling Instagram, clicked an ad for a super-cute dress and bought it. Next thing you know, there are bogus charges on her debit card. “How the heck did that happen?” she asked me. “It was a website I’ve shopped on before.”
Oh, Janet, don’t be a Mrs. Potato Head. Only use a credit card to shop online. They have fraud protections that debit cards don’t. And be on the lookout for scammers’ newest trick: Fake websites.
It starts with clicking an ad
This latest nefarious trick works because it’s copying websites you trust. The URL looks fine, the logos and slogans are there, the product pages look normal, and the payment platforms shown are all legit. Some of the sites even have the trusted HTTPS certification and 100% fake reviews.
So, how do you end up there in the first place? The jerk behind the site takes out social media ads and sends emails. You’re then lured by the extra-low prices, special discounts and free shipping.
Spoiler: You aren’t getting that product you ordered, or it’ll be a cheap knockoff. Worse, you may end up with a malware download that steals even more of your personal information.
Spot fake sites, fast
Here’s my quick cheat sheet to check before making a single click. For starters, if the price of whatever you’re buying is less than half of what it normally would be, move on, and ask yourself these questions:
- Is the URL multiple words? Big brands have enough clout to get simple domain names, like Macys.com or BestBuy.com. Fraudulent sites use longer, weirder titles like “MacyOutletShop.”
- Does this trendy boutique even exist? Many scam sites use names that sort of sound real, like “Homitage.” But if you’ve never heard of it, Google it. You should at least come up with reviews, additional landing pages or third-party sites selling the brand.
- Are there pushy pop-ups? Some websites have pop-ups for chats or discounts. But phony sites push pop-ups to ask for your contact or payment information while you’re still shopping.
- Where’s the customer service? Counterfeit sites may have a “Contact Us” email form that goes nowhere, but real sites will have plenty of ways to contact their customer service team.
- How do images look up close? Reliable sites use high-res images that are easy to expand or open in another window. Bogus sites typically use low-quality pics that don’t stand up under scrutiny.
Pro tip: Check the IP
Use this IP address tool to see where the site is located. Look for suspicious signs, like an American business with an IP address from overseas, including spots like China, India, Venezuela and other places that just don’t make sense.
Janet in Idaho, this one’s for you … The other day, I was in Safeway getting ingredients for potato leek soup. Two women were engaged in deep conversation about a friend’s divorce right in front of the leeks. So I said, “Excuse me, ladies, I need to take a leek.” It took them a few seconds to laugh.
Prices at the grocery store changing before your eyes
When I saw this in action, I knew you’d want to learn about it. Grocery stores across the country are swapping out printed price stickers on aisles for electronic ones. Retailers say it saves time. But the cost of an item could change in the time it takes you to walk from the deli to the frozen aisle.
I’d buy them all again
- Laundry detergent sheets are light and don’t leave a sticky mess, unlike liquid detergent.
- So handy — a cup holder you can put anywhere.
- Teeth a little dingy? I use this toothpaste to whiten mine.
- Shave the fuzzies off your couch, favorite sweater and blankets.
- Stickers to dim the glow on your electronics. If one doesn’t cut it, stack two. The pack is only $1.49!
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
🛰️ Bound to happen, lunar or later: Starlink’s new plan to stop scalpers from buying their cheaper satellites and hawking them elsewhere? An “outside region fee.” If you buy a satellite internet kit (standard or mini) from one region and activate it in another, expect an extra charge of up to $300.
You’re SOL … if you bought movies through Redbox. The company filed for bankruptcy, closed down the big red kiosks, and now the app is gone, too. This is your friendly reminder that when you buy digital content, you’re buying the right to watch for now.
$150,000 richer
A Kentucky man after opening a promo email from Powerball. On a whim, the guy decided to buy a Powerball ticket and paid an extra dollar for the 3x Power Play multiplier. “It was my first time,” he said, adding, “I wasn’t even sure how it worked.” It definitely worked — that dollar tripled his winnings.
Organization on sale!
- You already have cumin. Organize your spices with a slip-proof stand that’s easy to clean.
- Brooms, rakes and shovels, oh, my! Keep them tidy with a tool tower rack, now 24% off.
- Stop buying cream of mushroom soup! You have 11 cans already. See ‘em all with a stackable can rack that’s 28% off.
- Manage cords and cables on your desk and even in your car with these cable clips. A 16-pack is under $7 right now.
- Keep your cleansers, soaps, sponges or whatever organized under the sink with heavy-duty metal shelves, now 20% off!
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Some 60% of Roblox’s 70 million active players are under 16: And those 13 and up can buy a ticket to “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” directly through the game. It includes a special game avatar to lure ‘em in. If your kid uses your card for in-game currency, know they’re being heavily marketed to.
Use YouTube Premium? Buy through an iPhone or iPad, and it’s $18.99 per month. On the YouTube website, it’s $13.99 monthly. Yeah, cancel through your phone and buy it again.
Buy or build a PC in the past two years? If your PC has a 13th- or 14th-gen Intel CPU (like the Core i5-13400 or Core i9-14900K), Intel might owe you a new chip. They’re releasing an update this month for the crash-prone chips and extending its warranty by two years. If your PC is already crashing, the update won’t help. Reach out to Intel or your PC manufacturer.
Lowest flight price, guaranteed: When you buy a qualifying ticket, Google Flights monitors the ticket price. If it drops before takeoff, you’ll get the difference. At flights.google.com, select a flight with a rainbow shield icon next to it. Click Book on Google and check the box next to Price Guarantee to accept the terms of service.
Remember that hot site Cameo? The platform that lets folks pay for celeb shoutouts is stone-cold broke. The former $1 billion unicorn can’t afford to pay a $600,000 fine after violating the FTC’s rules for celebrity endorsements. New York and 29 other states involved will have to settle for splitting $100,000. If you want to buy a Cameo, better get it now.
🚨 Don’t buy pills on eBay: Some SKALD diet pills on the platform tested positive for meth in a random drug screening. Watch out for brands like PhenQ, Govvi WOW! and Phentamene XT, too; they could be fake or tainted with banned ingredients that cause heart attacks … or worse. Talk to your doc instead.
🚨 $400K MIA: A Silicon Valley woman nearly lost her down payment when a scammer infiltrated the email thread between her and her real estate broker. They convinced her to wire the money to a new account. It took banks five months to get it back. If you’re buying, talk through the wire instructions upfront with your broker, and when it’s time to send, call to confirm the details.
🚗 Airbag scam: If your airbags go off, shady garages will replace ‘em with cheap ones (or none at all). You won’t know until it’s too late, and those airbags can injure or kill you. If you have a used car or are thinking about buying one, go to Carfax and plug in the vehicle identification number (VIN). They’ll tell you for free if your car’s airbags have ever gone off.
🚨 Homebuyers, beware: A New Jersey couple was duped out of $32,500 when trying to buy their dream home. Scammers faked an entire email thread with their lawyer, the seller’s lawyer and the real estate agent. They wired the down payment to crooks. The scam email addresses were one letter off from the real ones. Wowsie, watch out if you’re buying or selling a home.
35% down payment
Is the new norm when buying a house. Zillow says 20% won’t cut it for most folks to afford the current average monthly mortgage payments (paywall link), given high housing prices and high interest rates. For the average U.S. home, that’s about $128,000 down. Ouch.
⛔ Senior scam alert: Two Florida seniors were duped out of $400,000 in gold by a phone scam. Someone called pretending to be a government agent, warning there were illegal activities on the seniors’ Amazon accounts. The con artists said the victims could avoid jail by buying gold bars and taking them to a dropoff location. Folks, the feds will never ask for gold, crypto or secret payments.
Apple’s specs appeal: No one’s buying Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro headsets, so Apple’s now holding off on the Vision Pro 2 to focus instead on a cheaper version of the original for 2025. It’ll have the same high-end displays but fewer cameras, a simpler headband and smaller speakers. I bet its price is around $1,500, much like a high-end iPhone.