(Sponsored) Black Friday and its sibling Cyber Monday are a brilliant time to get new gear and games but while there are plenty of noteworthy deals out there, there’s sure to be some that are too good to be true – that’s why it’s important to stay aware and follow these tips when buying games online.
Scams are nothing new but as more of our shopping habits continue to move online, it’s become even easier for bad actors to take advantage of unsuspecting users by /ising a great value-for-money offer that’s really a fraudulent way to steal money, financial details or even personal information.
If you want to know more about some common scams, and how to spot and avoid the scam artists who perpetrate them, have a look at these tips below, brought to you by the verified all-digital marketplace G2A.COM.
One of the most elaborate ways people might try to trick buyers is by using a fake or spoofed online store. What’s the difference? A fake store might be a completely fabricated website that’s built to look like a typical online retailer, but a spoofed store is more insidious – this is when a scam artist impersonates a real site, like G2A.COM, to make you think you’ve clicked through to a homepage you’re familiar with.
The most common way for scammers to direct you to these fraudulent sites is via links on social media, email or messaging. They may even pay for ads on social media sites to make you think it’s legitimate.
Spoofing is especially dangerous as the scammer is actively trying to take advantage of the fact that you’re unlikely to have your guard up if everything seems legit. That’s why spoofing can work against even some savvy online users.
The number-one piece of advice you should follow is to always check the URL before buying. If you verify URLs before entering personal or payment details – this includes email addresses – you’ll be far more likely to catch scammers before they catch you.
A good tip to avoid either a completely fake store or a spoofed store is to always pay using a method that allows you to reverse transactions. A good example of this is any transaction that goes via your bank’s system. Scammers are extremely unlikely to use such a payment method – they want to get the money as soon as they can without the risk of reversal.
Beside falsified retail websites, there are plenty of other ways thieves will try and steal your cash online.
Another notorious scheme is the fake order confirmation email. You may receive an email claiming to be from a famous retailer, telling you that an order has been confirmed, typically for a large sum, making you more likely to engage.
When you click on any links or attachments to the email, malware could be installed onto your device, allowing the scammers to do all sorts of things, such as monitoring your online actions, grabbing your passwords through keyloggers, or even holding your device and all its data ransom.
The most important thing to do is take a second to stop and think before you engage with emails or messages containing links. Are you sure it’s been sent from a trustworthy source? Do details on a supposed invoice or delivery confirmation make sense? Did you even order anything from that retailer? It might sound obvious, but if you click a link on autopilot you could be in trouble.
A common, low-effort way for scammers to try and take your money is through gift card scams – simply ‘selling’ redeemed or unactivated gift cards. This can be as low-effort as sending you an offer on social media or more elaborately, through fake websites. These fake websites may also include bogus vouchers and coupons.
The easiest way to avoid this is to always check the source. Don’t make deals via online messaging platforms and use well-known, reputable websites such as G2A.COM, which has been selling gift cards successfully for years to platforms such as Steam, Nintendo eShop, Xbox Store and PlayStation Store.
While vigilance is the most important factor to avoid being scammed, having security to back you up is also key. Having a password manager, VPN and most importantly, an antivirus software are all vital ways to avoid becoming a victim.
Overall, the most important piece of advice is this: if a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is, doubly so if you’re not sure the deal is coming from a reputable online retailer or marketplace like G2A.COM. Make sure you’re grabbing the best possible deals this season while shopping safely over at G2A.COM’s verified website.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
