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Listen here, je déteste les arnaques. Pardon my French?
Hello, if you're reading this, chances are that you've come across something rather questionable while online shopping and you're not sure whether to believe it or not.
Shopping online has become a go-to for many of us. Within a few clicks, your items arrive at your doorstep... or your chosen location. No more going into a store. No more shrieking clothing rails (screeeeee). No more... human interaction required. Sounds like a dream (to someone out there).
As convenient as it is, there's always a catch... right?
In this case, that's the possibility of running into scammers.
As we explore the world of online shopping, it's essential to stay informed and alert to protect ourselves from falling victim to scams.
A scam is a fraudulent and deceptive scheme designed to trick people into giving their money or personal information away.
From questionable emails to dodgy links, scams these days come in many forms and are becoming more sophisticated as technology evolves. Scammers use a range of emotional tactics to manipulate and persuade consumers - Scammers try to evoke fear, sympathy, urgency, excitement, guilt, relief...
Anyone can be the target of a scam according to Koning, Junger, and Veldkamp (2024). The researchers wanted to find out what factors could make us susceptible to scams such as sociodemographics, personality, health, internet usage, prior fraud knowledge and exposure to fraud attempts. It's suggested that frequent internet use and low self-control could make us more susceptible, but of course, this is only one piece of research.
By recognising these 5 red flags and staying vigilant, we can enjoy a secure and comfortable online shopping experience (as it should be).
IT JUST SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE...
As they say, when something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If an item that would usually be on the pricier side is discounted greatly, something must be wrong with it, right?
Double check the item's description to find out the reason why.
Examine any photos provided. You may want to carry out a reverse image search to see if the photos have been taken from somewhere else.
In some cases, the item may not be genuine, either a counterfeit or a knockoff, designed to look like the real deal.
Ask the seller questions if you can.
THE WEBSITE LOOKS A LITTLE OFF...
There are a range of checks you can use to establish the credibility of a website.
Look out for poorly designed websites with grammatical errors and low quality photos - A generally unprofessional appearance should raise an eyebrow. Are words spelled incorrectly? Are the fonts and logos inconsistent? Does the page look rather empty or all over the place? Legitimate online stores will invest in their website's appearance.
Take a look through the webpages - Is there a contact page, an about page, a T&Cs page, privacy policy, etc.? Or is it just one page?
Have a look at the footer at the bottom of the page - Is there a physical address? Look the address up online.
Also, take a look at the website's address (URL). This is found in the bar likely to be at the top of your browser. Ideally, the URL should start with https:// - which means “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.” This basically means that your data is being transmitted securely. In addition, your address bar may display a padlock as well.
You can also search for the website online to see what results appear.
Moreover, you may want to take a look at their social media. Do they actually have any accounts on reputable social media sites? Do they have followers and do they look real? Do they have comments? How new are the accounts?
WEREN'T EXPECTING AN EMAIL OR TEXT?
One of the most common scams is known as phishing. 'Phishing' is when scammers use emails, text messages or phone calls to steal your information. Usually, this method guides people into giving out their personal details in some way. Scammers may hide behind the disguise of reputable businesses where calls, emails, and text messages can seem really legit.
Stay vigilant when receiving texts and emails that you weren't expecting.
You should never be asked for your National Insurance (NI) number/SSN, PIN, a one time access code, or passwords out of the blue.
Here's an email received in late 2024. Using this as an example, here's a few tips and tricks to help you find out whether an email or text may be a scam:
Oh look, an email...
What is it about? An order confirmation.
Was I expecting it? No. Red flag.
Where did I find this message? In the spam inbox... Red flag.
What's the email address? The sender is a random Gmail account. Real legit businesses are likely to have professional email addresses under their own domain. Copying and pasting this email into a search engine shows no results. Red flag.
If you're still not sure what to do, you may view the file attached - However don't download it nor click any hyperlinks on it. You may hover over hyperlinks to see the URL address (which may be a load of waffle anyway).
If in doubt, you may contact businesses directly if you have an account with them and would like to verify the email/message.
Upon viewing the file attached, it seems to be a PayPal invoice for a product bought on eBay. In this case, the receiver of this email did not have an eBay account nor a PayPal account. This email can definitely be determined as spam.
If you'd like to do some further inspection:
Take a look at the logos. Are they low quality? Both logos do not look correct in this case.
Search the phone number online. This phone number has been copied and pasted into this document - the text is larger.
The font is not uniform throughout the document.
The text uses language that's quite demanding - "call us immediately".
Look up the shipping address online.
NO CONTACT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE...
Legitimate businesses offer clear and accessible contact information. If you struggle to find a way to reach customer service or the provided details seem off, it's best to look elsewhere.
If a phone number or email address is available, you can search them online.
HOW ARE THE REVIEWS?
Customer feedback is crucial for online retailers. If a website lacks reviews or testimonials, it could indicate that they aren't genuine. However this is not always the case. Look for reviews on external platforms (such as Trustpilot) to gauge a retailer's overall credibility.
Unfortunately, reviews can also be fake, either written by a bot or a person. Here are some things to keep in mind when reading reviews:
Are there lots of oddly similar reviews?
Are the reviewers all very new?
Are the reviews complete nonsense or overly factual?
Does the retailer have social media? You can check comments under posts this way as well.
Although this is not a comprehensive list of red flags to look out for, it's important to trust your instincts. Just remember that if something feels off or too good to be true, it's better to be safe than sorry. Do your research before you buy.
If you do happen to find yourself caught in a scam, try not to think of the worst case scenario straight away. Rather, the first thing you should do is contact your bank who will be able to help you step by step. You can call your bank, walk into a branch, or use your bank's official banking app.
If you live in England or Wales, you can report scams by visiting Action Fraud, a national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
Thank you for reading.
Stay safe!
You may want to take a look at...
Koning, L., Junger, M., & Veldkamp, B. (2024). Risk factors for fraud victimization: The role of socio-demographics, personality, mental, general, and cognitive health, activities, and fraud knowledge. International Review of Victimology, 30(3), 443-479. https://doi.org/10.1177/02697580231215839
Norris, G., Brookes, A. & Dowell, D. (2019). The Psychology of Internet Fraud Victimisation: a Systematic Review. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 34, 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-019-09334-5