Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular among consumers due to its convenience and time-saving benefits. However, the Anti-Cybercrime Department has urged the public to remain vigilant against fake online sales pages advertising unusually steep discounts, warning that such offers could be tactics used by scammers to defraud buyers.
According to the department, a common online shopping scam involves creating fake sales pages or impersonating legitimate sellers by copying their accounts and using them to advertise products.
Once victims agree to purchase an item, scammers typically demand that payment be transferred in advance. However, the goods are never delivered, and the scammers subsequently block all communication with the victims, leaving them with financial losses.
To prevent such fraud, the department has advised consumers to carefully verify the information provided on online sales pages before deciding to make a purchase.
Legitimate sales pages generally provide clear information about the shop and contact details, maintain a consistent history of posts, with genuine followers, and feature customer comments and reviews.
By contrast, consumers should exercise caution when dealing with pages that use names or images similar to those of legitimate sellers, have only recently been created, or have unclear histories. Pages displaying suspicious follower counts, advertising exceptionally low prices or offering excessive discounts may also indicate potential fraud.
The department particularly cautioned consumers against transferring money in advance without first verifying the seller’s identity and credibility.
Where possible, buyers are encouraged to choose cash on delivery (COD), which allows them to pay upon receiving their goods and can help reduce the risk of losing money to online shopping scams.
The department stressed that vigilance and careful verification before purchasing are essential to protecting consumers from online fraud.
Consumers are therefore advised not to make purchasing decisions based solely on unusually low prices or attractive promotions, but to check the seller’s credibility, confirm the product details and understand the payment terms before completing a transaction.
