进行一点点挖掘可以帮助您避免在网上购物时遇到那些实在太真实的陷阱。 martin-dm / E +通过Getty Images
假期已经是繁荣时期 网上购物。 该 COVID-19大流行病增加 the likelihood that when people shop this holiday season, they will choose online shopping over brick-and-mortar stores.人们在这个假期购物的可能性很大，他们会选择实体商店而不是网上商店。 However, this also means there is likely to be a boom in但是，这也意味着 在线诈骗.
Already, multiple companies from outside the US are advertising relatively unchecked on the internet, selling – or even just pretending to sell – all manner of products.已经有来自美国以外的多家公司在互联网上做相对不加限制的广告宣传，销售甚至假装销售各种产品。 The items are typically advertised using designs stolen from legitimate businesses and artists, often ripped off from Etsy, especially if those designs have been featured on popular sites like Bored Panda.这些商品通常使用从合法商家和艺术家那里窃取的设计进行广告宣传，通常会从Etsy窃取，特别是如果那些设计在诸如Bored Panda这样的热门网站上得到了宣传。
人们购买这些诈骗产品时，通常会收到 低质量。 That's if anything ever arrives.那就是任何东西到达的时候。 Often the company just shutters and renames itself without sending anything.公司通常只是不发送任何东西就关闭并重命名自己。 In worst-case scenarios, they also steal customers' credit card information.在最坏的情况下，他们还会窃取客户的信用卡信息。
So how to shop smart and spot scams?那么，如何购物聪明又能发现骗局呢？ Here are some clues to watch for.这里是一些需要注意的线索。
1.真的太好了吗？
Does the product pictured match the price?图示的产品价格合适吗？ Know the market.了解市场。 An amazing product for a low price is cause for suspicion.低价格的惊人产品令人怀疑。 For example, Instagram was featuring photos of a “Halloween Advent Calendar.”例如，Instagram展示了“万圣节降临日历”的照片。 The ad listed a price of US$59.99, but available for a limited time for $29.80.该广告的标价为XNUMX美元，但在限定时间内的价格为XNUMX美元。 At first glance you might think you're getting a great deal, but take a moment to think it through.乍一看，您可能会觉得自己收获颇丰，但花点时间仔细考虑一下。 That price would barely cover the cost of shipping and handling for a product of that size.这个价格几乎不能支付这种尺寸产品的运输和处理成本。 The original product,原始产品， 在Etsy上出售，零售价超过1,800美元，创作者积压了很多订单。
在《 Better Homes and Gardens》中刊登了右下方的两个在线广告，这些在线广告使用的是从Etsy卖家那里获取的产品图片， Pinterest和OddityMall网站。 H. Colleen Sinclair的屏幕截图, CC BY-NC-ND
2.如有疑问：Google
Perhaps you're not familiar enough with Etsy workmanship to recognize a likely ripoff.也许您对Etsy的做工不够熟悉，以至于无法识别出可能存在的盗版行为。 When in doubt, search the product name or download the image and run a如有疑问，请搜索产品名称或下载图像并运行 Google图片搜索。 You are likely to find the original source.您可能会找到原始来源。 If the product really exists – unlike this如果产品确实存在–与此不同 CG小鲨鱼 that one company used as an ad for its alleged baby shark robot toy – you can choose to pay the original artist for their hard work or take the risk and try to get the knockoff.一家公司为其涉嫌的婴儿鲨鱼机器人玩具做广告-您可以选择为原创艺术家的辛勤工作付费，也可以冒险冒险尝试敲诈。 The search will also reveal whether there are multiple alleged businesses selling the same “unique” and “exclusive” items using the same exact pictures.搜索还将显示是否存在多个涉嫌使用相同确切图片出售相同“独特”和“专有”商品的涉嫌企业。 Once you start seeing double or more, that's a warning sign.一旦开始看到两倍或更多，这就是一个警告信号。
3.检查商誉
Searching for the business name will likely just take you to the business's site.搜索公司名称可能只会将您带到公司的网站。 Instead, search the business name with the word “scam.”而是用单词“ scam”搜索公司名称。 You will be able to tell pretty quickly if there is a worrisome history associated with the business.您将能够很快分辨出与该业务相关的历史记录。 You can also try您也可以尝试 骗局，专用于确定在线链接的可信度。 There may be a Better Business Bureau listing for the company, but该公司可能会有更好的商业局清单，但 依靠这些要小心。 You can also find Facebook groups, like this one for您也可以找到Facebook群组，例如 与时尚有关的骗局，该网站跟踪不可靠的网站。
4.太不值得信任了
In some cases the business is so new that you won't be able to find a track record.在某些情况下，企业太新了，您将无法找到跟踪记录。 This is a red flag.这是一个危险信号。 They are likely one of those companies that close up once they've gotten enough orders then set up a new name and new domain and do it all over again.他们很可能是获得足够订单后便关闭并设置新名称和新域名并重新做一遍的那些公司之一。 There is a chance that it's a legitimate new businesses trying to open shop during a pandemic.在大流行期间，有可能这是一家合法的新企业，试图开设商店。 To tell the difference between a legitimate new business and a fly-by-night operation, apply some of the following steps to judge them.要区分合法的新业务和夜间飞行业务之间的区别，请采用以下一些步骤进行判断。
5.查看评论
Take a close look at the reviews.仔细查看评论。 If there aren't any, back away.如果没有，请退后。 If there are, check for the following warning signs.如果有，请检查以下警告标志。 The reviews are few and unanimously five stars with no comments.评论很少，没有评论都被一致评为五星级。 If there are comments, they are loaded with broken English or vague praise that could have been copied and pasted from any product.如果有任何评论，这些评论可能充满了残破的英语或模糊的赞美，这些赞美可能已经从任何产品中复制并粘贴了。 None of the reviews includes pictures of the actual received product.没有评论包含实际收到的产品的图片。 There aren't any negative reviews, which is a red flag because even the best legitimate businesses can't please everyone all the time.没有任何负面评论，这是一个危险信号，因为即使是最好的合法企业也无法一直取悦所有人。 As a side note, if you are looking at a legitimate product offering, be careful not to附带说明，如果您正在寻找合法的产品，请注意不要 阅读过多的负面评论.
6.这是一个“好”网站吗？
Does the business have a website, and not just a Facebook page?该企业是否有网站，而不仅仅是Facebook页面？ If not, that's a big no.如果没有，那是一个很大的问题。 If they do, is it a complete website, or is it barely there?如果他们这样做，它是一个完整的网站，还是仅仅存在于此？ Check that the business has a phone number that works, and when you search the number it doesn't have 12 other “businesses” associated with it.检查该企业的电话号码是否有效，当您搜索该电话时，该企业没有与之关联的其他XNUMX个“企业”。 Check that it lists a mailing address, preferably one that isn't just a post office box.检查它是否列出了一个邮寄地址，最好是一个不仅仅是邮政信箱的地址。
“关于我们”是否包括开业时间？ Does it include information about the products' creators?它是否包含有关产品创作者的信息？ If the page has a photo purporting to be of the owner or artist, you can do a Google image search to see if it's a photo copied from another webpage, a stock photo or a fake created by an AI system.如果页面上的照片看起来是所有者或艺术家的照片，则可以执行Google图像搜索以查看它是从另一个网页复制的照片，股票照片还是由AI系统创建的伪造品。 Do their claims about themselves hold up to scrutiny?他们对自己的主张是否值得审查？ For example, does the site claim to be an American Black-owned business but their例如，该网站是否声称是美国黑人所有的企业，但他们 WHOIS域名信息 在中国上市公司？
7.社交媒体的存在：他们有吗？
Similarly, do they have a social media presence outside of the ad that pops up in your newsfeed?同样，在您的新闻源中弹出广告之外，他们是否拥有社交媒体形象？ If not, steer clear.如果没有，请避开。 If so, you can click on the poster's name to see where the person or business is located and when the page was started.如果是这样，您可以单击发布者的名称以查看此人或公司的位置以及该页面的启动时间。 You can also see how far back their posts go, as well as check the quality of those posts and chatter about the company.您还可以查看他们的帖子回溯的程度，以及查看这些帖子的质量和有关公司的闲聊。
8.当心“停业”的故事
在大流行期间 合法生意实际上正在关闭。 Illegitimate businesses have been latching onto this as a tool to tug at people's heartstrings to trick shoppers.非法企业一直以此为工具，以拉动人们的心弦来欺骗购物者。 It is它是 美国企业这样做是违法的，但美国境外的企业不受同一法律的约束。 One way to tell the legitimate businesses from the frauds is to check the starting date on告知欺诈行为合法企业的一种方法是检查开始日期 网站域名注册 and social media sites.和社交媒体网站。 If the business popped up during the pandemic just in time to go out of business, steer clear.如果企业在大流行期间突然爆发而倒闭，请避开。
在Instagram左侧和右侧的Facebook上有可疑广告，其中包含大流行的停业故事，这些故事使用从合法企业中获取的产品图片， Lalabug设计。 H. Colleen Sinclair的屏幕截图, CC BY-NC-ND
9.流行广告点击诱饵
Watch out for fad items.提防时尚物品。 Knockoffs and ripoffs abound on any hot or trendy item.在任何热门或新潮物品上都存在大量仿冒品。 Nowadays marketers are also picking up on political trends.如今，营销人员也开始了解政治趋势。 Businesses crop up with names like “WeLuvTrump,” “FemPower” and “BlackGoodness.”企业以“ WeLuvTrump”，“ FemPower”和“ BlackGoodness”之类的名字出现。 The same is happening with political news.政治新闻也是如此。 For example, RBG items are all the rage in the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death.例如，在露丝·巴德·金斯堡大法官去世后，RBG物品风行一时。 Again, following the steps above will help you sort out which products are legitimate.同样，按照上述步骤操作将帮助您找出哪些产品是合法的。
10.社会影响力技巧
还要注意社会心理学家最初发现的常见营销技巧 罗伯特·恰尔蒂尼 that are used by legitimate and illegitimate businesses alike.合法和非法企业都在使用。 The most common you are likely to see in scam sites are claims of exclusive access, which appeal to your您最可能在诈骗网站上看到的是专有访问权的声明，这些信息会吸引您 需要独特性，声称供应有限或时间有限的“销售”，这些都在 心理价值 人们放在稀有物品上，并声称“来自印第安纳州的Karen S.刚刚购买了该物品”，这些物品是“社会证明行为是安全的或适当的，因为其他人已经这样做了。
Ultimately, if these 10 tips seem like too much to go through just to get that unique toy for your grandkid, buy instead from a trusted source you have counted on in the past.最终，如果仅仅为了给孙子孙女买个独特的玩具而需要做的XNUMX条小技巧，不如从过去依靠的可靠来源购买。 It's also a good idea to use credit cards or payment services like PayPal that protect consumers from fraudulent charges.使用信用卡或付款服务（如PayPal）来保护消费者免受欺诈性收费也是一个好主意。
Shop wisely.明智地购物。 Your bank account is counting on you.您的银行帐户指望您。
关于作者
H.科琳·辛克莱尔，社会心理学副教授， 密西西比州立大学
