Tips to avoid online shopping fraud

Protect yourself against shopping fraud

• Make sure you understand how the website’s feedback function works. Feedback will give you useful information about recent transactions other buyers have made.
• Check the item's description carefully – ask the seller questions if you’re not sure of something.
• Be extremely careful when buying things from people with little or no selling history.
• Read the terms and conditions carefully, including those relating to any dispute resolution procedures the site offers.
• Beware of people offering you a deal below the reserve price, especially if they contact you direct. Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.  
• Be aware of phishing emails that look like they come from the payment site you’re registered with, asking you to update your account details or re-enter them because your account has been suspended.  
• Check the URL in the web browser. A tactic often used by fraudsters is to change the address very slightly (if they’re spoofing an eBay site, for instance, they may have an address such as ‘...@ebayz.com’ whereas the real site is ‘...@ebay.com’) 

 

As a buyer, you should:

• Don’t send confidential personal or financial information by email.
• Try to avoid paying by money transfers - they aren’t secure.

As a seller, you should:

• Be wary of accepting payment by cheque. Even though it may clear, you are still liable if the cheque is forged or stolen.
• Don’t accept a cheque for a higher amount and refund the difference. This is a common fraud that only comes to light when the buyers’ cheque turns out to be stolen or forged.