Tricky Online Shopping Scams and Tips to Avoid Them
Over the years, online shopping has increased and so have online scams. Therefore, it is important to always protect yourself and your financial details. According to reports, more than 70% of online shoppers have fallen victim to scammers and have lost a lot of money.
But what steps are the most effective to avoid online scams? In this blog, we have listed different ways to prevent, identify, and fight online scammers before you start shopping.
Different Types of Online Shopping Scams
- Fake Online Stores
One of the most common online shopping scams is shopping on a fake website or app. These websites often look legitimate, but they’re designed to sell fake products or steal your information. These might include sensitive information such as credit card numbers, emails, and passwords.
- Fraudulent Social Media Ads
According to reports, more than 30% of all internet shopping scams come from Facebook and Instagram ads. When you purchase products through these ads, they either do not deliver them or are cheap knockoffs of what was advertised.
- Selling Discounted Luxury Goods
Many online shops advertise luxury goods like shoes and bags at discounted prices. But most of the time, the items are counterfeit of the original. So, be careful when shopping for popular or difficult-to-find luxury items online.
- Non-Traditional Payment Methods
One of the biggest red flags to look out for when you want to shop online is if the website asks for payment in a non-traditional way. These can include the following: wire transfers, gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency, or payment apps like Venmo and Zelle.
- Fake Reviews
Many shoppers believe online with many reviews from different people and scammers also use “brushing scam” to create fake reviews. These often happen on e-commerce websites such as Amazon or eBay.
Tips to Avoid Online Shopping Scams
- Too Good to Be True Scams
Every shopper loves it when their favorite product is on discount. But when you come across any offers where a product is sold at a fraction of its usual price, it’s a red flag. This is usually a shopping website designed by scammers.
- Use Secure Websites
When you want to shop on a website online, check the URL in your browser. If you can see https:// or a padlock symbol at the beginning of the web address, then it is secured and protected. It shows a safe connection between your browser and the website. It also ensures that your personal information and payment are protected with encryption.
- Check the Website Authenticity
Have you ever clicked on a social media ad and landed on an unfamiliar shopping website? Here is what you should check before making any purchase.
- Read many reviews from many online shoppers
- Check the seller’s contact details, address, phone number, and email on Google search
- Check for any refund or exchange policy
- Check their social media to see if they have a legitimate profile
- Use Secure Payment Method
When you are making a payment on an online website, it is important to ensure the payment method is well-secured. If you are making a bank transfer, check if the bank offers any features that could make life hard for scammers to get your card details. Also, be very careful when using a credit card as there are no warranties that cover scam purchases.
- Don’t Save Your Financial Details
A huge red flag you should look at is when an unsecured shopping website asks you to save your card information when you’re checking out. Remember, if the security of the website is compromised, all your details might be exposed to scammers, leading to unauthorized transactions or identity theft. Therefore, be sure the website is fully ensured, and you understand their terms and conditions before adding your card details.
The Bottom Line
It is important to understand internet shopping scams and remember that scammers can be on any website and with the above steps, you can prevent getting duped. Besides, business owners should also work on improving customers’ trust and securing their websites. The e-commerce industry should also establish specific standards and rules to verify every shopping website.
In a world where fraud is rampant, Cyber Cops provides advanced security for all your websites and digital operations. We ensure your website is safeguarded with the highest standard encryption. Let us help you secure your customer’s information and business future!