Avast have shared Five Golden Tips for how you can shop online safely, and protect yourself from scams and fraud this Christmas!
- Check who you’re buying from!
If you’ve found an unbelievable deal on a website you’ve never heard of, chances are it is too good to be true. Scammers are getting better at presenting themselves as legitimate organisations, but a good way to check to see if a business is genuine is to find the company’s details. If you can’t find any information about them, it’s likely the deal you’ve found isn’t genuine. - Avoid sites that only accept bank transfers
Although the money is still coming from your bank account, paying with a credit card is the safest option. Even if you use a debit card, you could get your money back if you never receive the goods you paid for, subject to your bank’s terms and conditions. - Avoid giving sellers any gift card numbers
Be wary of any online seller who will only accept payments in gift cards. Fraudulent sellers on eBay for example may list an item for sale and ask you for eBay gift card numbers instead of regular payment. You should only enter gift card numbers at the checkout and never share them with anyone else. - Look out for stock images on eBay, Etsy, and Amazon Marketplace
Buying stuff online can be cheap, but be aware of when you’re buying from an individual or a marketplace seller and not, say, Amazon itself. If you are buying from eBay, Etsy or Amazon Marketplace, watch out for any that use stock photos for their products as this could be a red flag. Perhaps the product doesn’t really exist! - Beware of the ‘photo only’ and ‘box only’ tricks
The idea of the ‘photo only’ eBay scam’ is to trick buyers so desperate for a deal that they fail to fully read the listing. As the listing is correct you, the buyer, were informed up front that you would receive a photo only, meaning eBay – or any online marketplace – will likely not be able to intervene and refund you.
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