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Following are some
safety tips to protect
you from online banking
and auctions fraud |
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Beware of
phishing.
Verify that
you are
receiving
emails from
the correct
source and
that you are
logging in
at the
correct
website.
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When making
payment,
prefer using
your credit
card over
online
transfer.
Using a
credit card
give you the
opportunity
of a
chargeback
in case the
transaction
turns out a
fraud.
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Use debit
card, wire
transfer, or
money order
only when
you trust
the seller.
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Use reputed
escrow
services. An
escrow
service
mediates a
buyer and a
seller. They
accept money
from buyers
and release
them to a
seller only
when the
buyer
confirms
that the
product was
received to
his/her
satisfaction.
But be wary
of sellers
or buyers
who
themselves
pose as an
escrow
service to
cheat the
other—a
buyer posing
as an escrow
service gets
a product
released
without
making
payment, or
a seller
poses as an
escrow
service to
trick the
buyer from
making a
payment.
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Check for
feedback and
rating of
the buyer,
which most
online
auction
website
provide.
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DO NOT
entertain
emails
received
from outside
of the
auction
website
mentioning
that the
highest
bidder has
withdrawn
and you are
now entitled
for a
product.
They veer
you off the
auction
website and
you lose any
protection
that the
website may
provide.
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NEVER make a
deal with a
seller
outside the
auction.
Although
they sound
lucrative,
you are at a
very high
risk of
being
cheated.
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READ the
auction
website’s
terms and
conditions,
buyer
protection
policy,
refund
policy
before
making a
transaction.
Here, they
list in how
many days
the order
will be
fulfilled,
what if the
product you
receive is
not the same
as what was
advertised,
and so on.
Also check
that the
policies are
fair on both
buyers and
sellers.
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Check if the
product you
are
purchasing
has
appropriate
warranty and
documentation
with it. If
not, make
sure that
you intend
to purchase
it without
that
protection.
Check if
shipping and
delivery is
covered by
the seller
or if you
have to bear
those costs.
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Check that
you are not
purchasing a
product that
you are not
allowed to
possess
lawfully.
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BE WARY of
products
that offer
revolutionary
results. In
most cases,
they are
fraudulent
claims.
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DO NOT
respond to
emails that
ask for your
personal
information,
such as your
log in
details or
credit card
details.
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READ the
online
auction
website for
feedback on
the seller
and a rating
that they
give to
sellers and
buyers. Most
online
auctions
rate the
sellers and
buyers based
on their
transactions’
feedback.
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READ the
product
features and
the model
number that
you intend
to purchase.
Verify these
with what is
being
advertised
by the
seller.
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When giving
your credit
card details
or your
debit
account
details at a
website,
check that
the Internet
connection
you are
using is
secure. Look
for a lock
at the
bottom or
https (an‘s’
appended to
‘http’) in
the address
field of
your
browser.
These
indicate
that the
connection
is a secure
one.
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Avoid making
a
transaction
if anything
in the
auction
seems
suspicious
to you.
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If you are
cheated on
any product
purchase, be
sure to post
a note on
the online
auction
website and
let them
know
personally.
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