Alert: Chitios.com Flagged As Fraudulent Store- Beware!

Chitios.com is a scam website that lures customers with low prices of items like flip cooker, measuring sets, camping utensils etc. but when payments are made, the store fails to deliver the products. In rare cases when they do send the item, it’s often of poor quality, or look entirely different from the products on the website ( a classic case of bait and switch scam)

We investigated Chitios.com, below are reasons why It’s a scam, and why you should avoid it at all costs.

Reasons Why Chitios.com is a Scam You Should Avoid at all Costs

Owned By A Suspicious Company

Chitios is owned and operated by Kentesh Ltd whose reputation online is terrible. it is a shady China based company linked to many untrustworthy online stores. Don’t let the address fool you, it is just a virtual address. Reviews online show the company engages in bait and switch scam. Customers often receive an entirely different and cheaper item compared to what they paid for. While some were unfortunate to receive nothing at all.

Stolen Product Images

The products displayed on Chitios.com do not belong to the store. They have stolen the images from the internet and are passing it off as theirs. These images could either be  AI-generated images, stock images or product photos sourced from legitimate websites. As a result of this, customers would receive cheap imitation and not the items displayed on the site.

Chitios.com has No Real Customer Reviews

The store has not provided an option for customers to leave a review on the website. This is worrisome and an indicator that the owner Chitios.com do not have genuine intentions.

Recently Registered Website

The domain ‘Chitios’ was recently registered. The registration information is available on who.is (a domain checker tool) The registration date is 13th July 2023. This means the website has been open for barely few months. So the store has no reputation and could easily shut down any time.

Poor Customer Support

Chitios.com has not provided a working email with which they can be reached. The email address provided as [email protected] is not functional. Moreover, there is no phone number provided.

Too Good To Be True Discount & Sales Offer

The discount margin is too large and unrealistic even on a sale. What this store simply does is use the cheap price as a bait to lure buyers. When people see the low price, they become tempted to take a risk.

How Does Chitios.com Scam Work?

Chitios.com scam works this way; the online store lures buyers with low prices of goods but fails to deliver the items ordered. The store often uses fake tracking details to deceive buyers who end up not receiving any item.

On rare cases when the store does send an item, it’s either an inferior product or a cheaper different item. This kind of scam is known as bait and switch scam. Customers are sent a different cheaper item instead of what they paid for. You could receive a pair of socks instead of a bean bag.

So, Chitios.com is a scam website. This store doesn’t deliver the products paid for or grant refunds. Customers are also at risk of of hacked credit cards, data theft, and phishing scams when they shop from this store . You’re not even safe if you used PayPal to make purchase as this store exploits a major issue in PayPal’s system.

What To Do If You’re a Victim of Chitios.com Scam

Contact Your bank To Cancel The Transaction and Get a Refund

The first thing you should do is contact your bank to inform them about the fraudulent purchase. Through the chargeback system, you can get your money back from the transaction if you file a dispute claim. You could also request for a credit card freeze. That way, your bank would block any future transactions on your credit card, ensuring that scammers are unable to exploit it.

Update Your Passwords and Enable Two Factor Authentication

The second step you should take is updating your passwords. This should be done if you’ve used the same password you used on this Chitios.com on other websites or applications. You should also go an extra step of enabling two-factor authentication. This would keep you protected from data breech.

Meanwhile, you should beware of any fraudulent email from Chitios.com. Do not click on any suspicious link in the email, as it could be a phishing scam. Clicking on the link might install malware on your phone which could compromise your device’s security.

Report the Scam

Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:

• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
• Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.

How To Easily Identify a Scam Website

Aside from the obvious too good to be true discount sale, here are other ways to identify a scam website;

Recently Registered Website

How old is the website? The domain age of a website tells a lot about a store’s legitimacy or transparency. Websites below 6 months old are often considered unsafe. You can find out a website’s age by checking on Who.is ( a free domain checker tool)

Website Lacks SSL Encryption

find out if the website is secured with SSL encryption. (https and padlock symbols). If the padlock symbol doesn’t appear near the website’s URL, then it means your personal and financial information is at risk at the store.

No Business Address/ Fake Business Address

Does The website provide return address? If Yes (Copy the address and paste on your browser. Google map would show if it is a real warehouse address or a residential address) If the address has also been used by other websites you’d see reviews in search results.

No Reviews Online

Are there customer reviews online? (It is advised that you sit it out if there are no customer reviews of the store. However if you’re not patient enough to wait you can send a mail to us to verify if the store is legit)

Shady or No Returns and Refund policy

If the policy isn’t available or if it isn’t clear, you should quit shopping.

Unsecure methods of Payment

When an online store’s payment methods lack the necessary encryption and security measures to protect customers’ sensitive financial information, it puts you – the shopper at risk of unauthorized transactions.

Conclusion

Chitios.com is a suspicious website luring unsuspecting buyers with its discount sale. Don’t let the low prices deceive you! The store does not deliver items after purchases are made. Just like Sambicycles, Mantiard, and Beambead, Chitios.com poses a fraud risk to buyers.