WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – With less than two weeks until Christmas Day, many shoppers are still searching for those last-minute holiday gifts.

However, if you’re shopping online, how can you tell if the websites you’re on are real or not?

“Fake websites have come a very long way since the basic html days,” said Josh Planos with the Better Business Bureau.

Copycat websites are common types of fake sites that pop up during the popular shopping seasons. The logos and layout designs are made out to look like the large retail sites such as Amazon and Target while selling items that shoppers would expect to find on there.

“Scammers are really good at knowing what the popular item is and what is something people are after,” said Planos.

A quick sign to know if the site you’re shopping on is real is to check the URL. While they may look real, fake websites will have misspellings, extra letters or a combination of words in the URLs that slightly differ than the actual sites.

Each year, thousands of fake websites are spotted and shut down.

“Scammers spend an awful amount of money to appear high in your search results, and a lot of cases, those spots are purchased,” said Planos.

Planos added that holiday shoppers could stumble upon a fake website on the first page of their search results if they are looking up specific items. Pop up ads on social media can also lead to a fake site.

Scammers are hoping to capitalize on shoppers rushing to buy holiday gifts and overlook red flags such as a fake URL. That rush could lead to them purchasing an item that is either counterfeit or that may not exist at all.

“We all think the transaction will go according to plan,” said Planos. “Frequently it doesn’t, and in those cases, it’s really important to be able to have the ability to get in touch with that company.”

For those shopping online on a smartphone, spotting a website can be more difficult since the URL is shortened on the device.

Another tip when shopping is to check for reviews on the website, and see if the return policy seems vague as that could be a red flag.

Experts also say to use credit cards when holiday shopping. If a buyer purchases an item from a fake website, credit cards can often provide better fraud protection over other payment options.

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