Warning about fake sites - update

Yeah the copycat domain thing is getting wild. I always check the URL character by character now, they'll swap an rn for an m and it looks identical. If there's zero board history and the photos look familiar from another vendor, that's a red flag. Without a verified track record it's way too risky.

The scam sites take your money and ghost you

This is exactly what I needed to know

Just a quick follow-up on that — you'd think checking for reviews is common sense by now, but these scammers are getting craftier every week. I've seen a bunch of new fake sites pop up that look almost identical to the real ones, right down to the layout and even some stolen vendor photos. The giveaway? They'll have zero presence on the boards here or any established review sites, or worse, they'll have a handful of glowing reviews that are all written in the same broken English.

So here's what I always keep an eye out for. First, the domain itself — a lot of these fakes are on weird TLDs like .store, .top, or .xyz, or they'll have a slightly misspelled name (like one extra letter or a hyphen where there shouldn't be one). Then there's payment — if the only options are crypto, gift cards, or sketchy third-party processors with no buyer protection, that's a huge warning sign. Legit vendors almost always have a trackable payment method that gives you some recourse. Also check the "contact us" page — if it's just a generic form with no physical address or phone number, or the email is something like [email protected], walk away.

Another scam pattern I've noticed: these sites will pop up with a massive "grand opening" sale, everything 50% off or some ridiculous deal that makes no sense financially. They'll also push you to order fast because "stock is limited" or "sale ends tonight." That urgency is a classic pressure tactic. And if you do dig into the reviews, look for repetition — the same phrases used over and over, or reviews that only talk about shipping speed and never about the actual ID quality or UV features.

How do you protect yourself? Well, before even considering an order, do a search right here on the forum. Check the VIP section and the trusted vendor lists. Look for recent posts from real people who've actually posted photos and shared their experiences, not just random comments. You can also run the site URL through a whois lookup — if the domain was registered last week, that's a massive red flag. And if a site doesn't have a working HTTPS certificate or the padlock icon shows as "Not Secure," don't even bother entering your info.

Bottom line: that one line of advice — check for reviews — is still the best starting point, but you have to know how to spot a fake review too. Take five extra minutes to do your research. It saves you from losing your money and your personal info. Stay sharp out there.

Good reminder. If the price is too good to be true it probably is