I agree with Charlotte, an I will say this: Lucinda, trust your gut ! It seems like you were already getting a "maybe I shouldn't do this" kind of vibe. I have found fraud and all kinds of phishing scams while doing business. It is just part of it now. Attorney General and BBB are a good place to start. But... they do not know everything. I have never joined the BBB, it is not a 'merit' based site, basically anyone can pay to be on there. When I found that out, I crossed it off my list.
I had an elaborate order inquiry via email and contacted the chamber, city where I was doing business and my bank, I finally found the information I wanted on the scam by typing on my browser looking for information. snopes.com
Good luck