Avoiding Internet Scams

Back in August my daughter sent me a link to an inflatable stand-up paddleboard (SUP) website that had a steep discount for outdoors enthusiasts. The site listed the retail price for the boards as being around $400 and my price would be around $70. I should have remembered that anything too good to be true usually is. I figured at that price, I should get 2 and so I did. I rationalized that even if it was a scam (it was) that I could afford to lose $140. In hindsight, I really should be more discriminating as I really don't want to lose $140.

After paying for the 2 paddleboards, I immediately got an e-mail from American Express saying that I purchased from a vendor that uses "SafeKey" and I am extra protected when shopping online. That sent a red flag as I do a lot of shopping online and have never received a similar message. If I ever see an e-mail like that again, I will know I am about to get scamed and take some of the cautions I am about to share with you. I have also told American Express that I think their message about SafeKey is a load of garbage and I don't trust it at all.

I received several messages from the paddleboard vendor about what I purchased and received shipping confirmation. Unfortunately the confirmation didn't match what I expected. When I made the online purchase I could only select shipping from DHL. When I looked up the shipment on DHL, they had no record of it. The shipping confirmation I received came from the Chinese postal service. By this point I knew I had been scamed and saved all e-mails.

I figured it was a scam early in the process as I told my oldest son I got a great deal on some paddleboards. When he looked at the manufacturer's site, he saw a retail price of $600. I looked at it and saw that it looked exactly like the site I used to order from but it also contained a warning about not to purchase $70 paddleboards as it was a scam. The difference in web address of the fake site and the real sight was very subtle and required careful reading. Naturally I called my credit card company (American Express) and immediately disputed the charge. I also put a block on the company so they cannot charge my credit card again for the next 4 years.

One of the e-mails I got early in the process told me that my credit card would be charged by Laycouture of Toledo. Interestingly enough, DON'T ever buy anything from them either. They have a website that appears to be selling women's underwear. Not lingerie but actual every-day underwear. When you click on any of the links though, they don't work and that is a huge red flag. The site looks very professional though as did the place I bought the paddleboards from.

About 2 weeks later I got a small package in the mail from China. It contained a set of Apple AirPods. I hate AirPods as they don't fit my ears and I think they are plain awful. Remember I do work for Sony and may be a bit biased. In any event, I had no idea who sent them. They could have been a birthday gift as they arrived just before that special day. I had also recently purchased an Apple Mac computer and AirPods were being sent as a gift for free. Ultimately it turns out that the fake paddleboard company had sent them so that when I disputed the charge to my credit card company, they had a record of me receiving something from them. It wasn't what I ordered but I did actually receive something. In hindsight I should have taken a picture as evidence. Instead I had my daughter sell them. If this happens to you, take a picture of the address label and what came in the box. Fortunately the US postal service has a record that they delivered the package into my mailbox. There is no way that 2 inflatable stand-up paddleboards that each weight 17.5 pounds will fit into my mailbox with paddles and a floor pump. So I had to document that.

Ultimately I have to document all of this with my credit card company and provide them the documentation saying that I did not receive what I purchased. I am still waiting to hear back from them as to whether or not I gave enough evidence of fraud. American Express has treated me well in the past and so I have no reason to believe I will have to pay the $140.

Always remember if something is too good of a deal, beware. The fake paddleboard company did an excellent job of making a believable website. It looked exactly like the real manufacturer's and I fell for it. Hopefully you can learn from my experience and avoid something like it in the future.