Greg's Corner

Fake websites are scamming laptop shoppers

Back when pandemic panic was at its peak, scammers didn’t hesitate to start fleecing people when it came to the online sales of masks, gloves, and toilet paper. In several cases, scammers set up phony websites claiming to sell these items only to steal your money and send you nothing. Now, the scammers are back with the same tactic except for a different product.

Laptop computers have been in short supply for some time. With new people now working from home the supply was already limited. Now, add to that the fact that many students either have started or will start school shortly. In many cases, these students will need laptops to take to and from class. Not every school can provide a laptop to students and not every family can afford a new laptop.

Scammers are aware of this and have started to set up fake websites that claim to sell laptops at bargain prices. A man from the Cincinnati area recently lost $125 to one of these legitimate-looking websites. The phony computer store gave an address of a Staples office supply store that has no connection with the scammers.

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, stick to the well-known retailers such as Amazon or Best Buy just to name a few. However, you can also shop at the manufacturer’s website. Companies like Lenovo and Dell are constantly having sales and often have discounts for students. There are budget laptops you can buy for around $200 but keep in mind they may be slower than the average laptop and not have as much storage but for writing web browsing they would be just fine.

If you decided to go the used laptop route there are plenty of options for you. eBay is a great place to find a laptop that may be a few years old but still delivers the performance a student may need. We recommend not buying a laptop made before 2011 but your experience may vary. You can also look to see if there is a computer recycling center in your area or check your local thrift shops. Your local computer repair store may also have a selection of used laptops for sale. You’ll probably want to avoid Craigslist considering how problematic their platform is.