Spotting the Difference Between Real and Fake Merchandise
Chiefs and 49er's fans may be looking to get some gear before the big game. But before they place their orders, they will want to make sure the merchandise is real.
According to the Better Business Bureau, these are the times when scammers are at the peak, when people are looking to get the best deals and fall victim to scams.
Experts at the Better Business Bureau recommend if someone is buying online make sure it's a legit website, that includes making sure the address has "https" in the URL.
According to the Better Business Bureau, scammers often target people with ads with fake merchandise online. Scammers tend to use stolen pictures found on social media and will post those photos of fake merchandise to try and lure people in.
Those with the BBB said if someone is debating on buying something online from a questionable site, it's important to know who they are buying from. They also noted that if a price seems too good to be true, then that could be a red flag too.
Caitlin Driscoll with the Better Business Bureau said, "If the price of an item whether its a collectible or not is being promoted as being significantly less than what it is being sold for on other well known retailer websites, this is a strong red flag that it should be a questionable ad, that it likely could be a scam."
Driscoll also said that you receive an item that is fake, then it may not be what you saw online and that's another red flag. "If something is received at all, it's usually a gross misrepresentation of the product someone was trying to order", said Driscoll.
Those at Sports Obsession at the Millcreek Mall said another thing to look for is the quality of the item.