Check the lock in the address bar. Check the company's presence on social media. Analyze the general appearance of the website. Major online retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy spend millions to ensure a safe online shopping experience.
If one of these stores sells what you're looking for, it's a safer bet.
These heavy “gold bricks” are comprised of 400 troy ounces of pure 24-carat gold (99.99% pure). The troy ounce is the industry standard for weighing and setting prices of precious metals, according to the ancient unit of weight developed by the Romans.
Look for a reputable bullion dealer in your area if you prefer to buy small quantities of gold in person. Most good jewelers and coin dealers sell investment coins.
Most banks store gold in their underground vaults, although some keep their physical gold in foreign exchange reserves. For example, of its 612 tons, the Dutch central bank has 15,000 gold ingots, or 31 percent, of its available gold stocks; another 31 percent is in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Gold has been an essential component of nations' financial reserves for centuries, and its attractiveness shows no sign of diminishing, as central banks will once again become net buyers of gold this year. In fact, central banks now have more than 35,000 metric tons of metal, about one-fifth of all the gold ever mined.