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Online Shopping ? |
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Mr.
Srinivas
Rao
wanted
to gift
his
daughter
a
Laptop.
He
accessed
a few
online
auction
websites
and
finally
chose
one that
gave him
a very
good
deal. He
bid,
won, and
paid for
the
product
using
his
debit
card.
The
product
was to
be
shipped
to him
within a
week. 10
days
passed
by and
the
Laptop
wasn’t
delivered.
He
checked
with the
auction
site and
got the
street
address
of the
seller,
he found
that the
street
address
wasn’t
valid.
The
seller
was no
where !!
How did
the
seller
suddenly
disappear
?
He did
not, for
there
was no
such
seller
in the
first
place.
Mr.
Srinivas
Rao had
become a
victim
of
online
auction
fraud.
When at
an
online
auction,
make
sure you
gather
sufficient
information
to
validate
the
claims
made by
the
seller.
If there
are
unrealistic
claims
of
benefits,
it most
likely
is a
fake.
Try to
avoid
online
purchasing. |
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Safety Tips to avoid
Online Shopping
Frauds : |
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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. |
