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How to protect yourself from online shopping scams?

How to protect yourself from online shopping scams?

by Joanna Deala

AS Christmas approaches, Filipinos are most likely wrapping up their list of gifts for their loved ones by clocking out early from work or spending their weekends in shopping centers.

However, some people may find it difficult to do their last-minute Christmas shopping because of their hectic schedules. 

Thankfully, the modern world now has e-commerce platforms and online shops that offer convenience, accessibility, and time efficiency to busy consumers, allowing them to shop anytime and anywhere.

But online shopping has a few disadvantages, too, such as a higher chance of getting scammed. This happened to Ally Fronda, a 25-year-old independent artist who makes jewelry and art.

Online scam

The Gen Z self-employed artist could not forget the time when she craved her favorite goldfish crackers and went out of her way to buy them earlier this year. But nothing in the package she received satisfied her cravings.

Ally told republicasia that she had been a fan of the snack, which is from the United States, since childhood. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find it in grocery stores in the Philippines, prompting Ally to look for other suppliers online.

She then found a shop on a popular e-commerce platform that supposedly sells her favorite childhood crackers in big boxes.

“It’s usually like a snack pack, and then there’s one that’s like multiple packs so that you can have so much. So, obviously, I was like, ‘Okay, perfect! I’m gonna get this really big one [with] a higher price so that I don’t have to consistently buy it,’” Ally narrated.

The Gen Z consumer opted to check out a big pack of goldfish crackers from her online shopping cart, thinking she could save up on the shipping fee—but that’s what she thought.

Ally shared that she was excited to receive her much-awaited purchase, but when it was delivered, she said the packaging did not seem like the box of the goldfish crackers she ordered.

“The item should be similar to a big cereal box—it wasn’t giving that,” she noticed. “It was a weird, circular shape. There’s no way there were goldfish [crackers] in it.”

Ally gave the benefit of the doubt, thinking that the package was not hers but that of her other family members. She also checked her e-commerce application to confirm if she ordered something else but there was none other than the snack she was expecting.

“My notification in [the app] was really just for the goldfish [crackers]. So, I was like, ‘Uhm, okay. Maybe it was just packed in something different.’ But it was not,” she said.

Instead of her childhood goldfish crackers, Ally received a round floor cleaning pad.

“I was scammed,” she stressed. “I was like, ‘Why do you even do this? What a horrible person.’ I was so disappointed that I didn’t get my snack. To this day, I still think about it ’cause I was like, ‘What kind of person do you have to be to scam people online [over] a snack?’ It was not even like I was buying jewelry or something.”

Signs to watch out for

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has constantly warned Filipinos about various online scams that have been prevalent in the digital world.

On its website, the PNP-ACG noted a newer version of online shopping scams where an individual would set up a fake online store, often selling fake branded items, for a short period and then disappear after racking up sales.

So, how would a consumer spot a fake online retail store? Here are some warning signs they should watch out for, according to the police:

  • A product advertised at an unbelievably low price, or advertised to have amazing benefits or features that sound too good to be true.
  • A seller insists on immediate payment or payment by electronic funds transfer or a wire service. They may also require the consumer to pay up-front for vouchers before they can access a cheap deal or a giveaway.
  • An online store is new and sells products at very low prices, and may have limited information about delivery and other policies.
  • An online seller does not provide adequate information about privacy, terms, and conditions of use, dispute resolution, or contact details. They may be based outside the country or the seller does not allow payment through a secure payment service.

Tips to avoid online shopping scam

Ally said that when she received a different package, she immediately contacted the e-commerce platform and provided a photo of the floor cleaning pad she received instead of goldfish crackers she ordered.

She then requested a refund, and fortunately, she got her money back.

“I just got lucky since I did my purchase through [the e-commerce platform that] offers refunds if you can [provide] evidence that [such a] situation happened to you, and they usually pay you back,” the Gen Z artist said.

But she left a piece of advice to consumers purchasing items in other online stores that do not have their own checkout system like that of big e-commerce platforms.

“I think the smartest thing to always remember when online shopping is to check reviews, check the rates of the shops to see if they are a reliable source,” Ally highlighted.

Ally said she usually double-checks the shop’s rating, especially when it does not earn a five-star rating. She assesses negative comments about the item and looks for any bad experiences a consumer encounters with the shop.

“I think there weren’t a lot of shops selling [those] goldfish crackers that I wanted, so I just took a risk,” she explained, reminding everyone to make sure to look more carefully at the item they are purchasing and the shop they are buying from.

For online payments, the PNP-ACG advised consumers to only use a secure payment service. A netizen should look for a URL starting with “https” and a closed padlock symbol to verify the URL.

Additionally, the police said they should avoid transacting with sellers who ask for up-front payment through money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card, or electronic currency because it could be hard to recover their money.

PNP Chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil said on Sunday that the PNP-ACG is now focused on tracking down online scams and fraud this holiday season. He reminded the public to be vigilant by verifying online transactions and avoiding suspicious links.

“Our operations target the syndicates behind these scams, but the public’s awareness and caution are crucial in preventing victimization,” said Marbil.

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