BALTIMORE — In the past year, the Better Business Bureau has shut down more than 100 fraudulent websites that illegally steal the famous BBB logo and imply they are legitimate sites. A noticeable trend recently is websites that include the word “overstock” in the domain name, hoping to fool consumers into thinking they are shopping with Overstock.com.
The BBB serving Greater Maryland recently issued an alert about Overstockcloseoutstock.com, a fraudulent retailer using a Salisbury address. The site had pirated the official logo of the online retailer in order to dupe consumers. With help from a local BBB investigator, the FBI estimated $9,000 has been lost to the fictitious Salisbury business.
“The website insisted that payment be made with Green Dot MoneyPak, which is essentially cash,” said a New York consumer in a complaint to BBB. “I tried to go to the website to print a receipt but the server indicates the website is closed for construction.” The complainant lost $650.
“Overstock.com is a highly visible online retailer, so it’s no wonder scammers try to mimic them,” noted Carrie A. Hurt, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the umbrella organization for 113 BBBs across the U.S. and Canada. “We’ve seen this with other major retailers as well. BBB is warning consumers: be careful to look for the real domain when it comes to major retail sites.”
“Our web address is simple: overstock.com,” said Jonathan Johnson, Executive Vice Chairman of Overstock.com, Inc. “That’s all. If the name is longer, or uses any additional words, or letters, if it has any words other than ‘overstock’ before the dot com, it’s not our website.”
Overstock.com is a BBB Accredited Business with an A rating, as well as a National Partner of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. The company has been recognized by many organizations, including Compuware as a “Best of the Web” award winner for four years in a row.
The BBB suggests the following tips for online shoppers to avoid bogus websites:
- Go to bbb.org to look up the BBB Business Reviews of your favorite online retailers.
- Type the URL directly into your browser; do not click on a link from an email or social media site unless you are absolutely sure the message is from the legitimate business.
- On the payment page, look for “https” at the beginning of the address (the “s” stands for “secure”).
- Look for “Contact Us” information, including a real address, a toll-free customer service number, and other ways to reach the company if you have a problem.
- Use a credit card (not a debit card) when shopping online for greater protections against possible fraud.
- seal should link directly to that company’s BBB Business Review.
The Greater Maryland BBB is non-profit headquartered in Baltimore serving 18 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.
For more information please call 410-347-3990 or visit bbb.org.