{"id":65345,"date":"2015-06-27T06:53:21","date_gmt":"2015-06-27T11:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=65345"},"modified":"2015-06-27T06:54:40","modified_gmt":"2015-06-27T11:54:40","slug":"bbb-warns-consumers-of-fake-websites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2015\/06\/27\/bbb-warns-consumers-of-fake-websites\/","title":{"rendered":"BBB warns consumers of fake websites"},"content":{"rendered":"

Better Business Bureau information<\/i><\/p>\n

COLUMBUS — Phony websites can be a very real problem, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) wants consumers to be on guard when purchasing items from ecommerce websites.<\/p>\n

While numerous sites may be legitimate, on many ecommerce websites, anyone can create a personal or company profile, put an item up for sale and take someone\u2019s money in a transaction. The BBB warns consumers to be on the lookout for one such F rated company, USA Motors Deals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

USA Motors Deals claimed it was a company located at 610 Claycroft Road in Columbus, but the recently created websites for their company are registered and based in Russia. Jay Hawthorne, the owner of the business located at 610 Claycroft Road, states he began receiving phone calls about boats last week. He let callers know that neither he nor his employees were selling or storing boats, and suggested they contact the BBB with questions and information on USA Motors Deals.<\/p>\n

\"Better<\/a>Three different consumers from various states had online interactions with USA Motors Deals, one going so far as to send them $1,000 for a boat they found for sale on Oodle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That consumer tried to do her due diligence and went to the company\u2019s website, even engaging with someone on their \u201cLive Chat\u201d feature, who directed her to a false BBB Business Review, claiming the company had been accredited since 2004. Another consumer stated he felt the only option for payment being PayPal Cash was a red flag, and contacted BBB of Central Ohio for further information.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, scammers are very good at making fake websites look startlingly authentic,\u201d says Joan Coughlin, vice president of marketing and public relations at BBB serving Central Ohio. \u201cWe are working closely with the FBI and other agencies to ensure that false websites that come to our attention are flagged and taken down, but we always encourage consumers to go directly to the source when looking for information.\u201d<\/p>\n

BBB suggests the following tips for online shoppers to avoid bogus websites:<\/p>\n