How to find out if a company is genuine

After giving it a once over, look over the company's terms and conditions. See if you can find any clauses or loopholes that signal suspicion.

Here are some other things you should research on the company's website:

• Disclaimer

• About us

• Contact us

• Private policy

If all of this checks out, it is likely that the company is legitimate.

To verify if the contact information on the website is legit, you should check with the local chamber of commerce. If they can verify the company's name, address, phone number, and email, you can be safe to assume the company's legitimacy.

You can also look into a company's credit report to check on its veracity. A credit report will contain the following information:

• Financial performance of the company

• Contact details

• Credit score

• Management structure

• Years of service

• Any legal judgments brought against the company in the past

This information comes directly from banks, so you know it is accurate and correct.

Lastly, you can visit the company to find out if it is legitimate. Do this by going in-person to the address of the company listed on its website. If you can't find a physical location for the company, it might not be legitimate.

If you can find a physical location for the company you can then check on how it operates, and the staff it has. Gaining in-person knowledge is a tried and tested way to know if a company is legit or not.