In the 21st Century, we live in an age where there is absolutely no dearth of shopping avenues. With the endless onslaught of technology and the recent COVID-19 crisis, fashion has found platforms of the exhibition right on our laptop and mobile screens. Online shopping is something we all do, from hip teenagers keeping up with the latest fashion trends, to doting grandparents wanting to send you Diwali gifts from the comfort of their homes. When such a plethora of options exists to increase our convenience, it is predictable that there might be certain unfortunate hoaxes that wish to suck us in. From fake retailer websites, rip-off branding, delivery of fake products, to complete disappearance after the payment, online shopping scammers consistently target unsuspecting consumers and get away with it by virtue of online interactions.
Cybersecurity experts like Dr.Arun Vishwanath from New York have attempted to analyze these scamming trends, and opine that the deals that people tend to find often come to them via email, and through unchecked illegitimate websites found online. Certain signals that one can recognize are surprisingly low prices for great quality products; products that are extravagantly advertised to have far-fetched benefits; skeptical payment transactions, and suspiciously limited information about delivery and other store policies.
In such issues of scams, Dr. Arun gives us tips to be cautious. Firstly, he tells us to avoid third-party websites – web-based technologies not operated by any government or non-government entities – that exist in a literal void. Secondly, we must be mindful while making an account on any website and use unique passwords that are difficult to trace. We must also check if the website or social media page has a fair return policy, as most legitimate ones have detailed complaint handling processes because they highly value consumer satisfaction. We must also be aware while making the payments, such as only paying for items using secure payment services like your credit card or a payment provider such as PayPal. We must steer clear of using virtual currencies like Bitcoin, as they do not offer the same level of protection in their transactions and recovery becomes a difficulty. Most importantly, we should effectively shun sellers that ask for up-front payment via wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card. More than anything, Dr. Arun Vishwanath of New York believes that we should simply trust our gut, and anything that intuitively seems too good to be true almost always is.
In case of the unfortunate occurrence of a scam, there are many avenues we can approach for help, such as our local consumer protection agency and the NCH (National Consumer Helpline). Such agencies help in disrupting scams and even possibly arranging for a charge-back in case of grave repercussions. Official bodies like the NCH offer support for the consumer to even lodge an FIR with the police or the Cyber Cell if the company is not traceable. Their facilities will succeed in resolving the matter. One thing we must absolutely do as consumers is to spread awareness about online shopping scams, to give the people around us an intimation, and prevent them from experiencing the same fate as us.