Since December 2023, we’ve been dealing with non-stop imposter websites and fraudulent online advertisements on social media, pretending to be our brand. We are absolutely devastated and have been devoting hours every week to taking down these scammers. We are in no way affiliated with any of these fake websites and we’re doing everything we can to help take them down. We wanted to share some tips on how to spot a fake ad or website and what you can do if you come across one. With evolving technology, these ploys are becoming more and more convincing so please take extra steps to verify you’re on a legitimate website before purchasing.
How to identify a fake website:
- Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you see an ad promoting steep discounts on social media, via text message, or any ad platform, it is likely an imposter. Advertisements from Natural Life will always be from our verified Natural Life social media accounts with the blue checkmark.
- Check the website URL closely and make sure you’re directed to naturallife.com. Pay close attention to misspellings or websites that include natural life + additional words. Always check that you’re on the right domain before entering sensitive information.
- Verify a website’s authenticity by locating the padlock symbol in the address bar (location and look varies by browser). Clicking on this will show that your connection is secure and a security certificate is valid. Please note, fraudulent websites can sometimes fake this security layer, so don’t trust these symbols alone if there are other red flags present.
Chrome:
Safari:
Firefox:
- Look out for poor spelling, design issues and other features like pixelated images, awkward designs, important missing pages like About Us or Contact Information.
- Check the domain age (how long the site has been active). Fake websites rarely stay online for long. One way to tell if a website is real or fake is to check how long it’s been active by using the Whois Lookup domain tracker. Enter the website’s URL and you’ll be able to see details such as the owner’s organization name, country of registration, and age of the domain.
Examples of Fake Social Media Advertisements:
If you placed an order on a fraudulent website:
- Freeze your credit. A credit freeze stops anyone from accessing your credit file and makes it harder for scammers to open new accounts or loans in your name. Call each of the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — and ask for a freeze.
- Update your passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA). If scammers have access to your accounts (social media, email, banking, etc.), you’ll need to regain control of them. Then, update all of your passwords to be more secure and enable 2FA for added security.
- Notify your bank and credit card companies’ fraud departments. Explain that a scammer has gotten hold of your banking information. They’ll help you close your accounts and issue you new cards and account numbers.
- Try to reverse the fraudulent payment. Reach out to the company that facilitated the payment and ask to reverse it.
- File an identity theft report with the FTC. Go to IdentityTheft.gov and file an official report. This is an essential step for disputing fraudulent transactions and fixing your credit after identity theft.
- Scan your devices for malware. Use antivirus software to scan your devices for lingering malware or remote access software that scammers may have installed.
- Consider signing up for identity theft protection with credit monitoring
How To Report a Fake Website
Reporting fake websites helps make the internet safer for everyone. If you come across a fake website, here’s what you should do:
- Report a phishing site or any malicious websites to Google (this will block them in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and other browsers).
- Report the fake site to Microsoft (this will block it in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer).
- Report scam sites to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-382-4357.
- Report the fake site to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)