Imposter Shopping Websites

Over the years there has been an upsurge of impersonation websites created by scammers that offer products or support for reputable brands they are impersonating. Typically, shopping scams start with a bogus website, mobile app or, increasingly, a social media ad. These fraudulent websites closely resemble the genuine ones because they use similar designs or URLs that look authentic.

These websites often appear high in the results on popular search engines like Google or Bing when someone searches for the actual brand name or related product. Once the scammers deceive a shopper into making a purchase on the counterfeit website, the shopper may either never receive the purchase item or they receive a counterfeit product of lesser quality or a different brand altogether. More importantly, it is a way for the imposter to obtain your credit card details for excessive and unpermitted use. Garmin actively fights back against these scam websites, but it's not possible to control the internet.

These are Precautions you should take when shopping online

Exercise caution with sponsored Google Links:

Be careful when clicking on links labeled as "Sponsored" in search engine results. Hackers have methods to make their websites appear at the top of search results, prompting you to click on these links first. It is advisable to exercise caution and carefully assess search results before clicking on any links. 

Pay attention to the URL:

Scammers combine the brand name with a city or country to create their URLs. Pay attention to addresses that end in .net or .org, these types of domain names are far less common for online shopping sites. Look for misplaced or transposed letters or spelling mistakes.

Observe the quality of the website images and categories:

    • Look closely at how a site is designed. Does it have the type of design skill and visual quality you would expect from a legitimate website? Low-resolution images and odd layouts can be a warning sign of a scam.
    • Just because a website name says “Garmin,” doesn’t mean they are Garmin. 
    • Look for things like spelling mistakes, broken or stilted English, or obvious grammar errors, such as the incorrect use of plural and singular words.
    • Before you purchase from a non-official website, we recommend clicking around the website to be sure that the links and tabs are functioning and not just images. It is also advisable to locate and review the “About Us” or “Contact Us” pages. Check that phone numbers and addresses on store sites are genuine, so you can contact the seller in case of problems.

Be wary of significant discounts:

If you find a website featuring products claiming to be from a particular brand but offering unusually large discounts, you should exercise caution. Detecting such discounts can be tricky, especially when you are on a website that appears like the genuine one. We suggest that you check multiple websites where the product might be available for comparison before making a purchase.

The site only accepts unconventional payment requirements:

If sellers require payment by wire transfer, money order or gift card they are likely to be scammers.

Check that the site is well established:

Look for a current copyright date, and use the free WHOIS lookup service to see when a domain was created and who it is owned by.

What to do if you become a victim of a scam website

If you fall victim to one of these malicious sites, you will want to take immediate action. Notifying the appropriate authorities is crucial. These are ways you can reduce the damage of a successful scam:

  • Stop communicating with the scammer.
  • Cancel any pending or ongoing payments to scammers.
  • Notify your credit card company and close any compromised credit card accounts to prevent other charges. Customers should use their credit card companies “charge back” process if victimized by any scam.   Card issuers will usually refund most, if not all, of the money the scammers were paid.
  • Update your most essential passwords and PINS, including banking and email accounts.
  • Freeze your credit to keep scammers from misusing your identity for new account fraud.

How to Report scam websites

Be sure to report the scamming incident to any affected services such as:

  • Your banking institution and/or credit card company.
  • Online account providers, such as Google and Apple.
  • E-commerce stores, like Amazon and eBay.
  • Report any attempted or successful website scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), or econsumer.gov for international scams.
  • Google works to avoid promoting malicious results, but be sure to report the site to help their efforts as well.
  • Reach out to your local police, they may be able to investigate locally sourced frauds.
  • The FTC website has advice on safe online shopping.

Related

Contact Us for More Help