Fraudsters are increasingly turning to the anonymity of the internet to rip-off unsuspecting consumers, but by following some simple precautions you can reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
In a recent publication the Fraud Advisory Panel offered guidelines to protect yourself when shopping online.
Here are five of the most common types of scams:
- Fake websites: A website which either impersonates a genuine reputable online business or that pretends to be a legitimate business but is not. Both are set up with the sole purpose of defrauding unsuspecting shoppers
- Online auction scams: You may receive goods which are counterfeit or that differ significantly from the description and are of a lesser value. In some cases you may receive no goods at all. The seller may also try to persuade you to pay by means other than the preferred method of the auction website
- Weight loss or medicine scams: A website which offers for sale alternative slimming aids or medicines to cure obesity, cancer and other medical conditions. These products are rarely properly tested and can even be harmful
- Ticket scams: A website which offers for sale hard-to-get tickets to popular sports and music events. The tickets are either never received or are counterfeit
- Phishing emails: You receive an email purportedly from a legitimate and well-known online business, auction or payment provider (such as PayPal and WorldPay) which contains a link to a fake but credible-looking website where you are asked to update your personal and/or account information. Banks and other legitimate online businesses will not ask you to do this
The panel outlines the following tips to protect yourself:
- Keep security software and firewalls up-to-date
- Update your internet browser as and when a new patch is released
- Research a seller before making an online purchase. Independently verify their contact details and other company information
- Be wary of unsolicited emails from online businesses that you do not know
- Use strong passwords which contain a combination of letters, numbers and other characters. Change them regularly and use different passwords for different online accounts
- Read and understand the seller’s terms and conditions and privacy policies
- Check that a padlock symbol is displayed in either the bottom right-hand corner of the webpage or in the address bar when you proceed to checkout
- Make sure the website address begins ‘https’ at the payment stage
- Exercise caution when using internet auction websites and use their preferred payment methods to purchase items
- Use a credit card for online purchases (or a prepaid credit card for smaller purchases)
- Keep a record of your online transactions and regularly reconcile them with your bank and credit card statements
- Be wary of buying goods from overseas companies
To view the whole Online shopping scams guide, visit the Fraud Advisory Panel website.