Fake Online Auction Sites-Guidelines to stay safe
One of the many probable advantages of the internet is the ability to buy and sell items online. I specifically put the term “probable advantages” as with all the scams and fraud taking place it has become quite a common phenomenon to fall prey to any of the scams and fraud events taking place. Unless we check every step whenever we use the internet for any purpose, we can still find ourselves at the wrong end.
The internet has facilitated the buying and selling of a large number of products. Almost any and every type of product can now be bought online. Unfortunately though, the majority of sites involved in buying and selling of products are fake.
For the unsuspecting buyer, finding out a rare item which they always had longed for, the internet seems to be a blessing. But it is only after they have wired the money or in some cases received what they had not expected, that they know they have been scammed or fallen prey.
Some of the guidelines mentioned below will provide a checklist in case anyone is trying to buy items online:
1.Majority of the fake sites or scammers advertise about the ‘non-existent’ products through spam emails.
2.Try and limit your purchase according to the amount of money you are willing to put at risk.
3.Corresponding to or dealing with strangers will most probably end up with you being at the losing end.
4.While dealing with reputed auction sites, try and save whatever hard copies or soft copies of correspondence that you receive.
5.Sites involved in lucky draws, promotions, lottery schemes should be dealt with extreme caution. Even if you are not planning to buy or sell anything from such sites, do not take part in any surveys or provide your personal details to qualify yourself for a prize.
Using common sense and keeping ourselves updated and informed is probably the best way to safeguard ourselves from scams and frauds taking place.
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