At first glance, buying Iraqi dinars online looks easy. Almost too easy. There are a lot of dealers trying to sell them nowadays. So all you have to do is pick one. Right?

Wrong! As with any "hot" merchandise, scams are common and you should know how to spot them, well before you hand out your hard earned money.

Here are 5 critical signs that you should know before buying Iraqi dinars online.

Does the dealers' website look credible enough?
A couple pages thrown together, with nothing else than a bit or two of text often copied from other web sites are often not a good sign. Take your time. Look at a couple other sellers. Compare them. If something looks fishy, it probably is. Don't rush and buy Iraqi dinars from the first online dealer you happen to come across.

Are any testimonials, preferably not on the seller's own web site, from satisfied users that bought Iraqi Dinars from them?
Satisfied customers sometimes leave testimonials to show their appreciation. But beware! It is quite easy to fake pretty much anything on the Internet. And testimonials make no exception. Again, take your time; contact the ones who wrote them if you can. An extra hour you put into this research, before you decide where to buy Iraqi dinars, may make the difference between a successful purchase and a failed investment.

Does the seller show his physical location somewhere on the site?
It'll be quite hard to track an individual or company when all you have is an email address or web site URL. A physical address can help you quickly locate them in time of need.

Is there a phone number you can call and talk to a real person?
Verify the phone number on their contacts page. Call them. Ask them a couple questions to see if they really know their business. For instance you could ask them to tell you the Iraqi dinar security features. Or what denominations do they sell. Ask them anything you can think of that can help you make a decision.

Are they registered with an organization such as the Better Business Bureau?
Odds of getting scammed are pretty thin if the company you're considering doing business with is a member of BBB or another organization that tracks customer satisfaction and records complaints. But beware! Simply displaying the BBB logo isn't enough to earn your trust. Take your time and verify they're actually who they say they are.

Buying Iraqi dinars is considered by some to be a great investment. The safety tips shown here should help you when selecting your dealer.