How to protect yourself against fraudulent payments? Helpful tips while trying products.
I am following up on the forum from the previous days when you started a lively discussion.
I outlined what not to do when you are a maker and what to do when you want to be more trustworthy.
Today, I will share the opposite.
This will be helpful if:
• You are at the stage of an “innovator” or an “early adopter.”
• You want to try new products (e.g. from ProductHunt).
• You do not have to lose your money very quickly.
Since I've been a first-time user in the past, it's often taken a few risks. And yes, there have been scams,
TL;DR: I've been scammed. 🥲😀
So if you learn from my mistakes, it will be a little win for me.
My “How not to be scammed” points:
👉 Try to find out who owns the site (which company, person), sometimes it's in the Terms & Conditions, and sometimes it can be found from the registered domain.
👉 Try to find reviews from other users, such as Trustpilot. Also verify the authenticity of reviewers (reviewer history, their profile photos, etc.).
👉 Use test emails to test products.
👉 Have a card specifically designed for frauds – have a very small, limited amount of money on it. Unless you can cancel the trial version, you won't lose a large amount.
👉 The ideal case is to have a spare device – a laptop or smartphone – from which you can try out different products.
These are mine.
I will be glad to hear about your protection against suspicious products.
Replies
Great tips! I especially appreciate the suggestion of using a test email and a limited-funds card to avoid large losses. I’ve had a similar experience with trying out new products and have learned the hard way too. One thing I’d add is to always check the company's presence on social media. Legitimate companies usually have active profiles and consistent updates, whereas scams often lack this or have suspiciously generic content. It’s amazing how often people forget to verify the simplest things! Thanks for sharing your experience. 😊
minimalist phone: creating folders
I feel sorry for your "hard-earned experiences." But we are the same! :D I have also lost many things. IYKWIM :DDD and good point about social media :)
App Finder
With Revolut, one can block future payments to a specific merchant, terminate a virtual credit card and create a new one, or use a on-time card. All without extra cost.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@konrad_sx Yes, I have this option for my bank card but sometimes it cannot be enough.
These are very helpful tips, @busmark_w_nika!
Personally, I don't really try products who need me to pay them. I try to ask the owner to let me try a freemium model if possible. If that works, great, if not, I leave it.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@pranay12 That is also approach :) But I am a tester sometimes :) so curious about new products :D