Verified answer

Thanks for posting up that information on a scam.

Making a scammer's scam googlable on every scam-warner-anti-fraud-busting site you can find is a great way to slow that scammer down when a suspicious potential victim goes looking for information, finds your post containing the name the scammer is using, his email address, phone number and the emails themselves and then that potential victim does not become a scam victim because you took the time "get the word out".

Wasting a scammer's time legally and safely is called "scambaiting". If you google that word, you will find sites where you can read scambaits, post up the emails and email addresses of scammers, post up a fake website, read up on how to alert a hosting company that they are hosting a fake website, ask questions and learn all about the hobby of scambaiting.

Hello Colleen,

I don't have any experience shopping with this website but when I did a little research about it, it does seem to be high risk due to the following reasons:

1) It is not indexed in Verify1st.com, an online reputation tool that reveals a website's reputation, identity and relationships. This means that it is not a top website because we only have the top websites indexed for now. But it might show up on verify1st's next release. You might want to check it out here http://verify1st.com/patriotsshopofficial.com

2) It ranked 6,364,099th globally with only 1 site linking into it. This supports the first point that it is not a popular website. Check out the information here: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/patriotsshopofficial...

3) The website is relatively new. It is only 339 days old. With that age, they wouldn't be able to build an online reputation yet. In fact, one reputation site, which based its ratings from people's opinion doesn't have a rating for this website yet.

4) Website location is in the United States but is associated with a high-risk country. Also, they are using a proxy service to hide their identity. This could be because they don't want to receive spams. Still, consumers should be vigilant because it is a common behavior of scam sites.

5) The website will expire next month, December 8, 2012. Why would it expire that fast? Hmmmm.... Consumers should really be careful.

6) Concerning computer security when visiting this site, Google reports this as not suspicious. However, two popular online malware checkers haven't tested this website yet.

7) The badges at the footer of the websites are just displays. Especially the "Trustwave" badge, where it says, "Click to validate". It is not linking to anywhere when clicked.

8) You're right! Neither contact number nor physical address is provided. Communication with them is only through e-mail, which can easily be ignored.

With all this, there really is a high risk involved.

How is your transaction with your bank? Did they dispute the said charge? I hope the best to you!

Thanks for the warning! And certainly, your bank should help with refuting the charge. Usually it requires a trip to a local bank and either filling out a form, or bringing a letter with you stating what the problem is and why you want your money back. I've had to do this with my bank, and they bend over backwards to be helpful even though they warn you about people selling stuff on the internet. Anytime you intend to buy from an unknown source, check it out with the Better Business Bureau. BBB Online or go to the BBB website and find the one nearest your town or location. Been there - done that and lost some money once. Won't do it again, though!

They host at iDear4Business.net, "Massive spammer and botnet

hosting, likely operated/under control of cybercriminals."

http://mywot.com/en/scorecard/idear4business.net