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Safe Online Shopping – Message

So far in 2023 year to date, there have been 689 reported incidents of Shopping / Online Auction Fraud, total stolen €731,436.90 - 24% increase in this type of fraud compared to 2022.

Since 2020, there have been 2907 incidents of Shopping / Online Auction Fraud reported with a total value stolen of over €4.5 million.

In the lead up to Christmas and with the approach of the Black Friday sales promotion period, Detective Sergeant Wayne Donnelly was in studio to encourage SAFE ONLINE SHOPPING by customers and offered the following advice:

Online Shopping fraud:

  • - Where the buyer does not receive the goods after making payment.
  • - They receive counterfeit goods or goods not as described.
  • - The seller can also be conned, having sent their goods, they do not receive payment.

More and more businesses are using the internet as the primary channel to sell goods and services. Although it is convenient for both consumer and retailer, it presents opportunities for fraudsters.

Many people are being deceived by shopping on cloned websites or on legitimate second sales sites or where they are persuaded to go off-site for a cheaper cash deal. Businesses can find themselves engage with customers and other businesses who are often unknown to them.

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GOLDEN RULES TO SAFE ONLINE SHOPPING

  • Use Secure Websites / Trusted Sources

.           Make sure the website you are on is real – not cloned or fake.

.           Make sure your internet access is secure.

.           Make sure there is an "https" at the beginning of the web address and a padlock symbol displayed beside the website address before the purchase is made - this indicates a secure connection. Padlock symbol alone does not make a website legitimate.

When the beginning of the retailer’s website address changes from ‘http’ to ‘https’ before a purchase is made it means that you are using a secure connection.

  • Check Reviews and Ratings – Especially for unknown stores and sellers
  • Look for the Trust Seals – Trust seals are commonly placed on homepages, login pages, and checkout pages. They are immediately recognisable and they remind visitors that they are secure on this page. YOU CAN CLICK ON THEM TO SEE IF REAL.

Examples of Trust Seals:

safe_shopping

  • Always use Credit Cards When Purchasing Online – They have a Strong Customer Protection Policy or use an online payment option of which there are many.
  • Do not send money direct to someone you do not know – You would not give money to a random person on the street, the internet should be no different.
  • Never send your credit card details including PIN number or any other information to any person by email.
  • If you do not complete a purchase do not submit or save your card details.
  • Never purchase through social media or where the ‘offer’ came to you via social media.

STOP / THINK / CHECK BEFORE COMMITTING TO BUY

  • Advice For The Retailer – Know your product (Is there a history of it being attractive to fraudsters?)

Know your Customer / Implement Safe Payment Method / Keep Data Secure.

 Detective Sergeant Wayne Donnelly / Garda National Economic Crime Bureau