Just because AI makes a recommendation does not mean that AI found the correct website and does not indicate that the website has been vetted for safety or security. Additionally, AI could present the shopper with an outdated link.When you click a link provided in AI results, the first thing to check is if it is a secure website. For example, if the shopper is warned that the digital certificate is out of date or illegitimate, do not continue using that website. Other warning signs, beyond security, are if the items appear too good to be true. For example, if you know an item normally costs about $100 and this website is selling it for $10, it could be a scam.Shoppers can also identify potential signs of scams by checking the website address and determining if it matches what was expected. For example, the shopper wants to buy a nice piece of jewelry for their significant other; let’s say they wanted to go to ringsforspecialpeople.com (please note this is a fake website, just for the example). When the shopper enters the website, they notice the domain name is not related; maybe it automatically turns into jewelryforspecialpeople.com. The website could be an exact duplicate of the website the shopper is accessing, but it is not. This should not be confused with related domains. For example, many companies will purchase all the related domains and have them redirected to their main website. The owner of the website could have purchased jewelryforspecialpeople.com and have it redirected to the main website.Shoppers can also navigate to the suggested website without clicking the link in the AI response. Instead of clicking the link, the shopper could use a search engine to search for that website and click the website from the search results.Prospective buyers can also review the payment options the website provides. One red flag is if the website requests payment in the form of money orders, wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. Those forms of payment are not typical. Most companies would prefer a credit card or payments through other sites, like PayPal, Apple Pay, and others.Shoppers should be aware of the company they are doing business with. They can research the seller by verifying it is a legitimate company, read user reviews, and identify if they have a customer service department. Most scammers will not have a customer service department. Review the policies on the website. Another red flag is if the privacy policy is non-existent or poorly written. Legitimate companies will have a privacy policy, written by lawyers, using legal jargon. If the policy does not appear to be written by a lawyer, the shopper should not spend their money there.The warning signs mentioned above apply regardless of how someone arrives at a website. Whether a shopper clicks a link provided by an AI assistant or finds the website through a traditional search engine, the same precautions should be taken. However, as AI increasingly generates recommendations based on individual shopping queries, fraudulent websites and scams may become more difficult to recognize, particularly when the results appear relevant, personalized, and legitimate.The advancement of AI has given scammers the ability to create highly convincing websites, customer reviews, product descriptions, and chatbots. As a result, it can be increasingly difficult for shoppers to distinguish legitimate businesses from fraudulent ones. However, consumers can take steps to verify a business before making a purchase. Researching the company, reviewing its Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and complaint history, and checking for any current or past consumer protection lawsuits or regulatory actions can help shoppers determine whether a business is trustworthy.If a website appears to be professional-looking, it does not necessarily indicate that the website is trustworthy. If a shopper has even the slightest inkling that the website may be fraudulent, they should research using some of these suggestions or find a different website that does not contain any of the red flags mentioned.
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