Nine Tips to Avoid Coupon Scams

Nine Tips to Avoid Coupon Scams

How often are you looking for a coupon code? Coupons are a great way to save money, but they can also be a scam. Online retailers have taken advantage of this, and now they are being targeted by scammers. The internet is filled with coupon scams and frauds that you need to beware of when using coupons or any other type of deal. Coupon scams and frauds are becoming more and more common as the economy continues to struggle. You must be aware of these scams, what they can do to avoid them, and how they work (so they know if their deal is real or not). This blog post is about how to avoid these frauds so that you can enjoy your shopping experience without any worries.

The tips will help you avoid coupon frauds and scams, so be sure to read them before using any coupons or codes! Learn how to avoid these fraudulent deals and stay safe!

Get Authentic Coupons Only

When using a coupon code or online deal, make sure you get an authentic and valid offer. Many scammers will try to create fraudulent offers that look real to take your money without giving you what they promised. Only shop with stores and websites that have good reviews (i.e., read the comments on their page) as well as a valid SSL certificate. The customer reviews and a little research will help you determine if the coupon is real or not.

Do Your Research

Research can save you from big losses. A little research about the store or website offering a coupon can help you determine if the offer is valid. Some stores will have sales pages on their websites, while others might have promotional emails to customers from time to time. In addition, some websites may sell coupons in bulk and allow other companies to distribute them at a lower price (check CouponGot ) as well as a valid SSL certificate. The customer reviews and a little research will help you determine if the coupon is real or not.

Be Wary of Email Offers 

Email offers can be just as dangerous as online coupons, especially when sent out by companies that don’t even exist in real life. When using an email offer, make sure to visit the website and look for an SSL certificate. Any company that is truly legitimate should have one. The email address can also be a “red flag” for coupon scammers. If it’s an obvious Gmail or Yahoo account, chances are the offer isn’t real, and you should delete it immediately.

Avoid Scams When Shopping 

If you plan on shopping online with your coupons (which is highly recommended), make sure to look out for common scams. One of the most important things is never to use anything but your card number on site. If you enter in your name, address, credit card information, etc., it will just end up getting stolen. If the website doesn’t prompt you to use a card number, it’s probably not legitimate. Moreover, One of the most common things that coupon scammers do is send out fake coupons. They will make them look real and official with logos and everything; however, they use your savings to make themselves money.

Avoid Discount Scams

Another common coupon scam is the shipping discount scam. The website will tell you that they are giving you free or discounted shipping, but when it comes time for them to send your package out, they’ll charge a much higher price than what was advertised initially. This makes shopping online with coupons something you want to avoid.

Make Sure You Get Your Money Back 

After using any coupon, you should always check your bank or credit card account to ensure it was not used without authorization by another person. This will help keep scammers from stealing your money. Also, you should make sure that your bank or credit card company can’t hold back the funds because they think there might be a suspicious charge on it in the future. This happens often and will leave you without access to your own money until everything gets straightened out with them. Trustworthy coupon sites like Offers.com will give you cashback on any orders you make. So if there is any fraud, they will give it back to you and take the loss themselves.

Read it!

Before using a coupon code, make sure it is not expired. If the offer includes free shipping or something similar, read all the terms and conditions to determine what else they may require before completing your order. You should also never pay in cash for an online deal if there isn’t proof that this business exists (i.e., a physical address and phone number). Avoiding coupon scams is easy to do if you know what you are looking for. Be sure the sites that offer deals have good reviews from customers since this can save you time and money later on! Also, read the fine print or other terms and conditions before using your coupons.

Be Wary of Offers That Look Too Good to Be True

If an offer looks too amazing, it probably is! Many scammers know that we all love a great deal and will use this fact against us to get our money. The sites selling these coupons will say that the deal is only good for a short time, or they might try to add other stipulations to snag your money. If you see an offer like this, move on and look elsewhere!

Make Sure the Website is Secure 

Check out the website before purchasing anything from them or entering any personal information. Does it look professional? Is there an address listed on their page? Do they have a phone number that works? These will give you clues about the legitimacy of their company. If there is no information listed for you to contact them, it does not mean that they are a scam site but be wary when checking out anyway. You can also check with other customers or read reviews on websites like Yelp! or similar sites to get an idea about what the store might be like. You can also look at the website through an online tool like WOT (Web of Trust) which will give you feedback on whether or not it is safe to enter your personal information into their site.

In the End

Be careful of coupon scams. Whether you are looking to save money or just trying to find a good deal, there are many ways that scammers try and trick consumers into giving them their personal information in the process. For example, some websites will have fake coupons for products they don’t even carry, so users will enter their credit card information thinking they might get something back but instead be charged several times more than what is on the screen. Others may use phishing emails with links to sites where people can download free coupons, which turn out to be malware downloads quickly infecting your computer system with viruses meant for stealing data from unsuspecting customers.

The best way to avoid these traps? Educate yourself about how fraudsters operate, and always watch out for links or emails that may be phishing scams. It’s also important to know how hackers and scammers use technology and where they get their information from so you can protect yourself better than the next person! Read more articles at Dorj Blog site.