FORT COLLINS – A website selling $1,000 gift cards to gas stations and grocery stores for only $149.95 is not affiliated with the Better Business Bureau, despite its name.

BBBCertifiedGifts.com claims to provide great deals for the holidays, but there are numerous red flags about its legitimacy, according to the BBB serving Northern Colorado and Greater Wyoming.

First, the website uses a fraudulent copy of the BBB seal. If it were legitimate, consumers could click on it to see a copy of the company’s BBB Business Reliability Report. The BBB has given the company an F rating.

“People trust the Better Business Bureau and scammers often try to mislead consumers by pretending to be with the BBB or claiming to be a BBB accredited business when they are not,´ said Pam King, president and CEO of the Northern Colorado BBB.

Second, the site claims that all gifts come with a 100 percent guarantee. A closer inspection of the site reveals that the guarantee seal was actually taken from Schwan’s, an online grocery and delivery company.

Third, the website lists its address as 2710 Thomes Ave. in Cheyenne. According to the BBB, that address is a virtual office space from which many scams have originated.

Additional red flags concerning the site include the fact that it was registered only a month ago, it makes general claims about supporting multiple charities, and consumers have limited time to purchase gift cards.

King suggested that when shopping online, consumers should always check the company out at wnyco.bbb.org first, even if the company claims to be a BBB accredited business.