Shaoxing Pande Trading Co., Ltd. FOOL-PROOF DECEPTION: Perfect Business Deal - Paid For Products - All Links Failed - Contact Lost! Internet

I made a deal for computer components with Shaoxing Trading Co., Ltd that seemed legitamate when they showed up on Alibaba.com with a banner indicating they were a "Gold" supplier. This is known to mean they deal in thousands of these products. I recieved an invoice that looked professional and had everything about their company on it; their location, email, URL, etc. and it all looked professional and convincing. Once payment was made, there was no confirmation, no tracking information, no contact at all. The hyperlinks leading to their website failed, and the company itself ceased to exist! The store website had vanished! How does a consumer protect him/herself from tell-proof scams like this or even decipher it from one that is legitamate