As gift-giving season draws near, a network of digital advocates warned the public against fake online shopping stores and vendors.
Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald Gustilo said that fake online shopping stores and vendors are blatantly operating now and have been victimizing unwary consumers.
“Most of them are imitating legitimate business entities, operating in multiple social media platforms. They usually entice the consumers with an advertisement offering a huge discount on big ticket items from reputable companies. They also have a fake website where you can browse and purchase other items. But these items will not be delivered to you. Your money will be stolen by the scammers operating these fake sites. ” Gustilo said.
Gustilo added that victims of fake online shopping stores will be in a very vulnerable position, as they can also be victimized in more ways, aside from their money being taken.
“Aside from the payment for the items that a victim will supposedly purchase, since they have given other information such as their billing, delivery and payment details, their information can be sold to other cybercriminals or even legitimate entities. It can also be used for identity theft which can be later on used to perpetrate financial crimes and other cybercrimes. Their bank or credit card information can also be used to take their money.”
Gustilo advised consumers engaging in online shopping to validate extensively the shopping sites that they will be visiting and buying from.
“There are ways to detect fake online shopping platforms. Usually, legitimate businesses, especially those with a very reputable enterprise, have verified social media pages. These are pages with blue check marks. If you are buying from a social media page, this is one of the things you should be looking for. You should also check the engagements that the page has. If the activities in the comments and reactions section are not in proportion or if it shows coordinated comments, it can be considered as a red flag. You may also want to check the reviews and even the spelling of pages and websites. If the website is different or has a typographical error compared to the business names, it may be a fake site.”
Gustilo also urged those who will be victimized to immediately file a report against erring online shopping platforms and stores so that authorities can make necessary actions, based on the complaints filed.
