The Guide to Avoiding Online Shopping Scams

Header

Author: Trend Micro

November 4, 2021

This article is fromTrend Micro.

Tis the season be jolly and to shop! Have you done your homework about shopping safely online? Online shopping is the new normal. Many people chose online shopping instead of crowded shopping malls even BEFORE the pandemic began.  This holiday season, you should be extra cautious – think twice before you type in your credit card number when you find a killer deal online. Scammers can deceive you into doing things you will regret later on.

Shocking Facts About Online Shopping Scams

1. Online shopping scams have increased dramatically during the pandemic.

At a time when the need for online shopping has soared due to COVID-19, more and more cases of online shopping scams are being reported.

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), “…so far in 2020, 37.9 percent of all reports to BBB Scam Tracker were online purchase scams, up from 24.3 percent in 2019.” This means that the number of online shopping scam reports up to the third quarter of 2020 is already 1.58 times larger than the total number recorded in 2019.

At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s public data shows that the total reports of online shopping scams during the second quarter of 2020 were far more than that in the second quarters of 2018 (35,189 reports) and 2019 (43,419 reports).

2. Many people are NOT aware of the risks of online shopping.

The BBB’s survey reports that “…out of the 57 percent who did not research the website or business via an independent source before making a purchase, 81 percent lost money,” which means that more than 46% of this group suffered a financial loss from online shopping scams.

The same survey pointed out that the rate of people who lost money due to online shopping scams has been increasing. The BBB noted that “80.5 percent of consumers reporting online purchase scams in 2020 lost money, a steady rise from 71.2 percent in 2015 when we began collecting data.”

3. Online shopping scams affect every generation.

According to FTC’s data, seniors over 80 have the highest median loss per scam- $1,200 USD. People who are between the ages of 30 to 39 suffered the most from online shopping scams as they rely on eCommerce more than other age groups.

4. Facebook is a huge source of online shopping scams.

Social platforms are favored by scammers because it is easy to show fraudulent ads to audiences. “The top online platforms where consumers who lost money to an online purchase scam first learned about the product include Facebook (30%), Google (28%), a specific website (17%), and Instagram (9%),” according to the 2020 BBB Online Purchase Scams Report.

5. Fake shipment tracking information is a common tactic in online shopping scams.

The BBB’s survey notes that, “59 percent reported receiving shipment tracking information after making the purchase. Of those receiving shipment information, 54 percent reported that the tracking information was fake.”

How can you safely shop online?

  • Always check before you shop.
    It is very important to check the security of the website where you plan to shop. You should check if the web address of the website starts with HTTPS instead of HTTP. Or you can simply send the website address to Trend Micro Check for immediate verification.
  • Use Trend Micro Check to check these:
    • “Too good to be true” campaigns
    • Ads with typos and odd wordings
    • Website addresses
    • Websites with incorrect contact details
    • Unusual customer reviews
    • Strange payment methods
    • Unclear policies/Terms & Conditions

1. After you’ve pinned the Trend Micro Check browser extension, it will block dangerous sites for you automatically:

2. Send links or screenshots of suspicious text messages to Trend Micro Check on WhatsApp for immediate scam detection.

  • Avoid direct purchases on social platforms.
    Social media is full of irresistible deals & offers, but it is best not to shop from an online platform – there are often no guarantees when it comes to disputes, returns, or refunds.
  • Never wire money to someone you don’t know.
    In some online shopping scams, the scammer (‘merchant’) asks the buyer to use payment methods other than the ones listed on the website, such as bank transfers or apps like Venmo, to complete transactions, claiming that there were technical difficulties with the original payment.
    Read more tips for safer online shopping:
  • Add an extra layer of protection to your device with Trend Micro Maximum Security! It includes Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection to help you combat scams and cyberattacks. Click the button below to give it a try:

Report a Scam!

Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!

Help & Info

Popular Stories

As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu

So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking.  If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller.  The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the