Protecting Yourself from Online Purchase Scams: Safeguard Your Shopping Experience

Online purchase scams are tricks used by dishonest individuals to create fake websites or listings to deceive customers into buying products or services that don’t exist or are below standard. These scammers mostly use appealing offers or low prices to lure carefree buyers. Once the payment is done, the buyer receives nothing in return, and the scammer disappears. It’s crucial to verify the legitimacy of websites, read reviews, and be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true. Protecting personal and financial information is essential to avoid falling victim to these deceitful schemes and ensure a safe online shopping experience without any online purchase scam.

Online Purchase Scam Incidents

• 5 people were recently found to be involved in the online purchase scam activities. The police found that they were misleading people by creating fake e-commerce posts and advertisements which appeared to be real. They also managed to create fake social media advertisements like Facebook, Instagram ads. Mostly ladies wears like suits, sarees were listed and at a very low price. The customers were deceived by them. They made payments to the scammers but did not receive any product. The scammers were using fake and duplicate phone numbers and bank accounts.

• A recent report revealed an incident where a Older citizen fell victim of a online purchase scam. The 70 yeas old lady was trying to order six towels worth Rs. 1,160. When she tried to make payment, around Rs. 19,000 was deducted from her bank account. The lady noticed it and tried to contact with the bank. She was contacted by a fake number pretending to be from the bank. The person told her to download an app in the name of helping her with the wrong transaction. However, Rs. 1 Lakh more was withdrawn from her account after downloading the app. She decided to inform police about the transactions but meanwhile Rs. 8.3 Lakh more was gone from her bank account.

• Two persons were arrested by police who allegedly used the banking details of other people to make orders from online stores. The accused were using Telegram groups to unfairly collect banking data of customers and made over 1000 orders from different sites worth 12 Lakhs. To enter the shopping sites, they used proxy IP and some hacking tools. Later, they would change the phone number and address used to make orders.

• A Rs. 300 lipstick order turned into a loss of Rs. 1 Lakh. A doctor order lipstick from a cosmetic store. On phone she was told that her delivery was stuck for a payment of Rs. 2. The fraudsters forwarded a link to the doctor where she gave away her bank details. She was also told to download an app. Instantly, Rs. 95,000 and Rs. 5,000 were consecutively deducted from her account.

How to suspect Online Purchase Scams beforehand

Fake Websites and Apps:

In particular, watch out for fake online stores or apps pretending to be real ones and promoted in social media posts as well as search engine results.

Too Good to Be True Prices:

Be careful if prices are very low, especially for well-liked items such as clothing, footwear or electronics. If it sounds too good to be true, then probably that’s the case.

Immediate Payment Requests:

Be wary of sellers who ask for payments in minutes via such apps as Zelle, Venmo or Cash App and online wire transfers. Legitimate vendors usually provide safe payment methods.

Pressure Tactics:

Beware of sellers who try to force you into hasty decisions. Threatening buyers with urgency is a common tactic among scammers.

Unfamiliar Social Media Ads:

Be on the lookout for social media advertisements that lead you to unfamiliar online shopping sites or companies selling through their pages in any of the platforms. Never trust the legitimacy of such advertisements.

Payment with Credit Card:

Use credit cards in most cases, especially when dealing with unknown suppliers. At least credit cards usually have a higher level of fraud protection than other forms of payment.

Account Monitoring:

Set up account alerts and notifications to quickly detect any suspicious activity or fraudulent transactions from your accounts.

Protect Sensitive Information: 

Never reveal such confidential details as your bank account number, PIN or one-time access codes. Legitimate vendors do not require such details.

Seller Vetting:

Make sure to investigate the seller and add the “scam” term during your search for finding possible problems.

How to stay safe from Online Purchase Scams

Verify Refund and Returns Policies:

Make sure that the website or social media page explicitly defines refunds and returns policy, wherein they appear to be fairer than reasonable. If problems arise, credible online sites have step by step complaint procedures.

Research the Retailer: 

Determine the retailer’s background to determine whether they are a local or foreign firm. Watch out for the shipping origin of your ordered items, specifically those that are coming from overseas.

Secure Payment Methods: 

Make sure that the payment services you are using have URLs beginning with `https` and include a closed padlock symbol. Reliable payment processors such as PayPal provide an extra layer of security. Do not use virtual currencies such as bitcoin, since there are no underlying safeguards to recover funds once it has been sent.

Beware of Up-Front Payments: 

Do not pay in advance by sending money orders, wire transfers, international funds transfer services and preloaded cards as well as electronic currencies such Bitcoin when dealing with unknown individuals. These funds are difficult to recover.

Conclusion

Conclusively, online purchase scams pose great dangers in which scammers use fake things to deceive innocent buyers. The above mentioned practices demonstrate the variety of ways that fraudsters use. To avoid being a victim, inspect sites and do not be misled by unbelievably low prices that ask for quick payment. In this regard, it is crucial to stay updated with the authenticity of sellers and keep a safe transaction process. The steps outlined in the above are a road map to doing online shopping without harm. Through constant vigilance, double-checking of data users can consumers secure themselves from the dangers that online scammers pose for them.

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