Holiday shoppers in quest of electronic deals should beware of unbelievable discounts that are too good to be true. The inability to see and touch products on the Internet makes it hard to detect consumer scams. Bogus Web sites lure bargain shoppers in with amazingly, low-priced electronic deals. The consumer scam not only charges the shopper for the non-delivered goods, but--also absconds the consumer’s credit card information. 

Use these consumer smart tactics to avoid falling prey to a holiday bargain scam:

Review the site’s “FAQ,” “Contact us,” and “Terms of Service” pages.  Look for an abundance of grammatical errors. Since, many holiday bargain scams originate from other countries, misspelled words are a common telltale sign.

Compare the same product prices to other sites. If there is more than a $50 discrepancy for popular consumer electronics, proceed with caution.

Check the bargain site’s reputation. Go to Google. Enter the name of the company, followed by a comma, and the word “complaint.” Also, visit the Better Business Bureau,  RipOffReports.com and Complaints.com, on each site, enter the organization’s name. 

Make sure the site has the proper security measures in place.  As you head to the check out page, and before entering your credit card information, look for the icon of a padlock in the upper right corner of the browser. If the site is unsecured, abandon the check out, as it places credit card information at risk.

Also, verify that the Web site’s name matches the company identity in the payment center or check out page.  If the names are not the same, be sure to run a check on the alias before completing the transaction. Unscrupulous companies will change their name to avoid exposure.

Maxim: Not all electronic deals are worth the bargain of becoming a consumer scam victim.