Drip pricing and pre-checked boxes
Add-ons pre-selected and a total that grows at checkout.
How to spot it
- Pre-checked boxes
- Price differs from the product page
What to do
Uncheck extras and re-read the total before paying.
What the real thing looks like
- Checkout with no pre-checked extras and a total that matches
Try an example
A practice example with fictional companies. Answer it, then see the tells.
Is this checkout page a scam or legit?
- Antivirus scan, one deviceFree trial$0.00
- [x]Checked: Continue after trial with ShieldGuard Plus, $89.99 per year
After 7 days your card is charged $89.99 and renews each year until cancelled by phone.
Total today$0.00 today
Pay with: Card
Start free trial
Sure and right: +15. Sure and wrong: -5. Calling a legitimate item a scam counts as a miss.
Test yourself on eight more
The free quiz mixes scams with legitimate messages, like real life. No sign-up.