You know Amazon for its extensive list of sellers and inventory, lightning-fast shipping, and incredible deals. But it turns out, there's a problem with the online platform that could cost you.People have been losing money to fake third-party sellers, Buzzfeed 온라인 바카라 게임 reports, who list items at low prices to prey on customers shopping for the best deal. Once they receive the order, the scammers will either send out counterfeit products or nothing at all."It really is a game of cat and mouse," James Thomson, a partner with the consultancy Buy Box Experts and a former Amazon employee, told the news source. "As soon as Amazon sets up a way to identify these sellers, they have a way to get around it."It's been happening for quite some time. Last winter, Forbes detailed reports of Christmas presents that never arrived, and articles on the topic date back to August 2016. Not only are the frauds affecting customers, but also honest sellers, whose products the frauds claim to carry. Here's what Amazon told CountryLiving.com in an emailed statement:"Amazon does not tolerate fraud. We withhold payment to sellers until we are confident that our customers have received the products and services they ordered. In the event that sellers do not comply with the terms and conditions they've agreed to, we work quickly to take action on behalf of customers. There have always been bad actors in the world; however, as fraudsters get smarter so do we. Amazon is constantly innovating on behalf of customers and sellers to ensure they buy and sell with confidence on Amazon.com."Thankfully for consumers, the company's "A-to-z guarantee" covers purchases from Amazon or third-party sellers (as long as they were bought on Amazon.com) and will refund you if your order never shows up or isn't as advertised.But, according to Buzzfeed, Amazon noted in its 2016 annual report that an increased number of scams could drive up the cost of the A-to-z program. And scammers are getting smarter, finding loopholes in the site's system. For example, CBS San Francisco reported on one Amazon customer whose order had been recorded as "delivered" because it was—just not to the buyer. This particular scammer mailed an empty box to a different address in the same city as the customer and got someone to sign for it, thus tricking Amazon into thinking the order was complete and making it more difficult for the customer to file a claim. So here's what you can do to avoid being fooled on the site (or any online shopping platform for that matter):Look out for just-launched sellers: How long has the seller been on Amazon? Make sure you read multiple positive reviews that convey it's an establish source before placing an order.Pay attention to the number of listings: If the seller has thousands of listings, that could be a red flag—especially if the account was just recently added to the site.If the prices seem too good to be true, they probably are: Steer clear of listings for half as much as comparable products.Keep communication and transactions on Amazon.com: The A-to-z program only protects you if you purchase from Amazon.com. One victim of an Amazon scam told Buzzfeed that a note on the seller's page instructed buyers to email first before ordering. She did, and the official-looking email told her to purchase the product with an Amazon gift card code—but the whole thing turned out to be a trick. (Note: Amazon is onto the gift card scheme and has posted instructions on how to avoid it.) Learn how to identify if an email or webpage is actually from Amazon, and always use Amazon's Buyer-Seller Messaging Service. That way, the company can monitor for scams and have a copy of your correspondence. Don't fall for payment scams: Amazon details a list of what to watch out for here, but sending money in exchange for lottery tickets, credit cards, or loans, are just a few things you should never do.Never give out personal information: Amazon won't ever ask you for it, so don't reply to requests for your e-mail address and password combination, or any other personal details.Report listing violations: Read and understand the general listing restrictions, and if a seller violates them, report it. "If ever the product doesn't arrive or isn't as advertised, customers can contact customer support for a full refund of their order," Amazon says.(h/t: Buzzfeed 온라인 바카라 게임)