South Australia Police (SAPOL) is urging online shoppers to be vigilant to avoid falling victim to scammers during sales days in the lead up to Christmas.
In a statement, SAPOL said with last week’s Black Friday and today’s Cyber Monday (29 November) sales attracting shoppers, people wishing to snap up great deals were not the only ones looking to take advantage over the period.
“Scammers are constantly adapting their methodologies and police are anticipating that they will seek to exploit online shoppers through fake social media ads and websites,” SAPOL said.
“This type of scam usually involves the victim purchasing items through an online marketplace, but after making payment, fails to receive the goods.”
SAPOL urged online shoppers to be vigilant and keep an eye out for dodgy ads.
Among a range of tips to help stay safe online, SAPOL included using known and reputable sites when shopping online; being cautious if the advertised price of an item online looks unusually low; be aware that scammers will send emails that appear to be from genuine companies and brands which may look legitimate but have different URLs.
It advised shoppers to check the website’s security, ensuring it has a full authentication system (such as verified by Visa/MasterCard) and to conduct their own research instead of reviews posted on the website or within the social media post itself.
Further information on scams can be accessed on the SAPOL website at this PS News link.
