Hundreds of Component Buyers Scammed by Fraudulent Websites

1. These websites accept only payment in advance. Once payment is made, communications stop and goods are never delivered. Do not wire payment in advance to organizations that refuse to use alternate forms of payment such as credit card, Pay Pal, or escrow or who otherwise refuse to provide verifiable trade references.
2. The owner(s) of these sites purchase Google ads. If you Google a part number, it is likely the scam site will appear on either page 1 or page 2 of your Google search results.
3. The sites falsely claim to be authorized distributors for major semiconductor brands.
4. The sites falsely claim to be members of ECIA.
5. The sites share almost identical language and, in some instances, are a mirror copy of one another.
6. Obsolete and hard to find parts are identified as in “stock” at below market prices.