In Europe, many people have already encountered the problem of Internet scams, and Online shopping is one of the favorite areas of cybercriminals to set these traps for users. It’s a time when you wouldn’t suspect that a website is asking for payment and address information, and that’s what’s being taken advantage of to steal user data and even money.
There are many ways to achieve this, as it is possible create websites that imitate those of clothing brands, for example, to try to charge the buyer for something that will never be shipped; or those websites that, without pretending to be another store, offer excessive offers to capture users’ interest.
In any case, when purchasing online, if you are not in a well-known store such as Amazon, El Corte Inglés or PcComponentes, It is best to be careful and thorough. when we check whether the website in front of us is trustworthy or not.
Don’t be fooled by overly good offers
Nobody gives anything away on the Internet, just like in physical stores. Lots of criminals They use attractive offers as a lure to attract users who, in order to save a few dollars, risk falling for this deception. After all, this is normal, since everyone tries to find the best price when making a purchase.
In this case, false promotions on generally quite expensive devices are used as a lure. It is not common for scams to be hidden behind products that cost just over 100 dollars., because these are more accessible. On the other hand, a deal on Apple iPhone and high-end Android phones may be more attractive to any user.
In any case, when the discount on the initial price is equal to or greater than 70% on a relatively new and quite expensive product, it is better to be wary and try to confirm the suspicions about said offer. The same thing happens for products that appear with a very inflated price, but were later discounted.
Check store reliability
In general, this type of deception usually occurs in little-known stores or even in those that were created specifically for this purpose, and checking if it is a reliable website can put an end to the attempt. scam at first. . He National Cybersecurity Institute offers some very useful tips for knowing if an online business is trustworthy. It is not recommended to make a purchase in a store that does not provide information about the company, such as the CIF, if it does not have a section with the terms and conditions of purchase, well written, or if there are no comments or references to the store by other users in any forum or social network.
The National Police also warned of the increase in scams using the store cloning method. This involves creating an imitation of a known company so that the buyer makes a purchase without realizing that it is not the original site. The order will never arrive and the refund process can be slightly frustrating.
In these cases, the fake store is usually accessible via a link, either from an advertisement or from another website. To verify that it is the same store, you must display the URL and compare it with that of the original store
If you can, don’t pay by card
After having suffered scams during an online purchase, some users comment on specialized forums that their bank has put them some problems trying to get the money back for having paid by card and having authorized the payment, either from the bank application or by SMS.
This is why, if the store is unreliable, paying by card is always a bad option. In fact, if it is a scam, this is probably the only method you will accept. This is another reason to be wary of said store, since the most normal thing is that several options are offered.
If you have any doubts about the site you are buying from, it is best to look for other reliable alternatives. However, if the purchase must still be made, It is important not to pay by card, but to use an alternative method, like PayPal, which offers excellent buyer protection.
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