Safe shopping Online
I don't want to sound depressing but Christmas is just around the corner and, especially in the current financial climate, everyone is searching for ways to reduce the cost of buying both necessities and luxuries online. Anytime is timely to highlight internet fraud and how to stay safe online when shopping.
There are a few simple guidelines which, if followed, should keep you safe and secure in your shopping, whether at any time of the year.
As part of a Penny Auction promotion there are a number of auctions running which offer you a chance at a real bargain, take a look here and see what you might pick up.
You'll notice that these penny auctions are all on smaller alternative auction sites ... alternatives to eBay, that is. In general, many of these auctions sites tend to be run by groups of sellers and it is rare to find either scammers or 'dodgy' items on such sites. The advice below still applies, as I know only too well from moderating another site that you can't keep every scammer / spammer / fake seller (or meds peddler) out of the picture completely, all you can do is act swiftly to remove them when reported.
You will also find that on the majority of the smaller alternatives to eBay there is genuine customer service from the site itself.
Google me Baby
Most of us will be using a search engine to source our Christmas list fulfillments and you could find yourself on a website you have never heard of before. What then?If you really want that expensive widget at that real cheap price, how do you ensure that you can trust the site or the seller?
You don't.
It really is that simple. You don't know anything about this seller or whether it's a scam or a counterfeit product.
The very first thing you need to do is ... Google 'em Baby.
Google the seller's name or their website name and see what comes up.
If you can find no information on the seller or the site, then it's probably best to walk away. If you see loads of returns from Google about the seller/site then check what they are. Are they complaints or do they praise, are they in any way related to that widget you want to buy?
Of course, if the seller is on an auction site, you have the opportunity to check their feedback on that site but beware, this can be misleading.
Here's the result for 0ctavias0fferings - those o's are zeros, by the way and it's all one word, so be sure you enter the search name carefully to see the appropriate returns generated.
Seller's feedback
When checking a seller's feedback, make sure that their reputation is genuine.First, has most of their feedback come from selling very cheap items and now they are selling loads of expensive goods? Be suspicious if that's the case, it could be a hijacked account or it could be a scam.
Check the feedback thoroughly, I have found in some cases which were obviously crooks setting up scamming rings, that some don't even have the intelligence to leave a few days between an auction ending and them leaving feedback (with another account) saying how marvellous the item and service were.
The worst I found had supposedly delivered a piece of furniture hundreds of miles in less than five minutes to recieve the glowing feedback left for them by the "buyer".
Don't just take the feedback at face value.
Third, avoid the 'lost in the post' scenario by asking the seller to send your item by guaranteed next day delivery (expensive items) or recorded delivery or whatever is the equivalent shipping method in your country.
If your spend is a figure you can't afford to lose then you need to insist on trackable shipping.
Before you begin shopping.
What do you intend to use as your method of payment when shopping online?Bank transfer, debit card, credit card, cheque? That's all very well if you are dealing with a well-known retailer, someone you have had previous dealings with or a recommendation from a VERY good friend whose word you can absolutely trust.
Mostly, you should use a credit card for the very expensive items, at least then, if the item doesn't arrive or is fake / broken / not as described, you can get your money back from the fraud and online shopping protection included by many credit card companies today.
For smaller amounts, I recommend you use one of the credit cards which can be charged up with money from your account to limit any potential losses made through fraud.
Give enough time
Allow plenty of time for your goods to arrive so that you can check the items out and make sure everything is as it should be.With the best will in the World, not all sellers are in a position to check every item before it leaves them and damage can occur in transit so do give yourself plenty of time to be able to sort any potential problems out ... shop early online for your gifts whenever they need to be with you by a specific date.
If you do get scammed ...
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Unfortunately, if a buyer falls victim to an online scam the police are highly unlikely to take an interest, particularly when the sums involved are under about £500 (c $875). Let's face it, as things stand the internet is not really regulated, anyone can start a site and the buyer may have been scammed by someone in another country, what chance does their local police force have of solving the crime?Of course, you should still report the crime to your local police force, ask them if they have a cybercrime unit - and try not to be surprised when they say "a what now".
And you'll find some great links on JaguarJulie's lens SOS - Stop Online Scammers.
So there is one other thing you could do to help keep yourself safe online and that is to lobby your local MP or any of the government ministers to whom this should matter to set up a properly dedicated department within the police force to cover internet fraud in all its forms, large and small.
And finally ...
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There are really only two main points to remember when shopping online ...1. Always use the internet to search for information on the business you are considering buying from.
2. Always pay with a credit card when dealing with a seller for the first time.
Naturally, you should also make sure that your credit card details and your passwords for any site are kept secure and never give those details to anyone you could not trust absolutely with your entire reputation - identity theft is an increasing problem and could ruin your life for years to come should you fall victim.
I hope you all have safe and successful shopping experiences online.
More ways to find information about websites.
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There are a number of sites on the web which can help you to identify the owner of a website and often to find out more details about that person.Here are a few.
Who.is a website where you can search by website name etc.
Network Solutions a similar website.
WhoIs there are quite a few out there.
Alexa can tell you about the traffic figures for that website and holds info on some other aspects.
Snoop 4 Directors enables you to find out about company directors in the UK and Ireland.
Almost anything you could want to know about a site and who owns it can be found on the internet. If you can't find enough information - and of course, you can probably even identify the offices (if any) on Google Earth.
Christmas Shopping - Where do you do yours?
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Pheebay.com
At Pheebay.com we try to keep up with what's happening online and report scams etc which are taking place on some well-known shopping sites.
For information on fraud, phishing emails and other online scams, please also visit Fraud Watch International
For the most recent phishing alerts, see this Fraudwatch page where you'll find a wealth of information on the most current phishing exploits.
Phishing is normally targeted at obtaining your bank account/credit card or other site sign-in details. Once the fraudster has these details he may or may not empty your account, he is just as likely to use these details to take out multiple credit agreements in your name, never paying a penny for the goods and ruining your credit status in the process.
Another site with information is Scamdex which also carries a range of information on current scams etc around the net.
For information on fraud, phishing emails and other online scams, please also visit Fraud Watch International
For the most recent phishing alerts, see this Fraudwatch page where you'll find a wealth of information on the most current phishing exploits.
Phishing is normally targeted at obtaining your bank account/credit card or other site sign-in details. Once the fraudster has these details he may or may not empty your account, he is just as likely to use these details to take out multiple credit agreements in your name, never paying a penny for the goods and ruining your credit status in the process.
Another site with information is Scamdex which also carries a range of information on current scams etc around the net.
Beware of strange emails ...
It didn't occur to me at first to add this piece of advice but I guess, to be complete, I really should.If you have never bought online before you need to be mindful of your emails.
Shortly after I first started buying on an auction site so well known it's the first place you think of, I suddenly found myself receiving emails which claimed to be from the site or from Paypal. These are commonplace phishing scams but you need to be very aware of them.
Never and I really do mean never click on any of the links in an email.
Always go to your account on that site and check your messages there.
Most of these messages will be geared towards getting you flustered, it may pretend to be a confirmation of an expensive purchase which you must approve and giving you a link to click, or it may take the form of an insulting and inflammatory rant against you ... at which, of course, you are supposed to rush off to set things straight, using the handy link provided.
The link will take you to a site set up to look similar to the page you are expecting but when you enter your details you will be sending them to someone who will then use your details for their benefit.
So, never click on any links in emails from sites, always open the site home page in your browser and then check the messages on your account, anything important will be there.
Do you have shopping safety tips to share.
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- sbucciarel sbucciarel Aug 30, 2008 @ 11:24 am
- Great lense. The Firestorm Forum is great for promoting your lenses and blogs. There's a very active Squidoo community there. firestormforum.com Hope you check it out. I also have a lense about it at http://www.squidoo.com/firestorm
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