![]() ![]() What should you do if you think you've been scammed? Slow down and consider whether a sale is too good to be true.Always conduct your transaction through a secure platform such as PayPal or Apple/Google Pay.Always access websites via an independent search rather than through links in emails, SMS or social media.Review a website in your Google search result by clicking on the three stacked dots to the right of the web address.Here is some other advice the ACCC offers to stay safe when shopping online: "If the store is on social media, read the comments and search for independent reviews on the internet – noting that sometimes there may be fake positive reviews." "If possible, try and ascertain how many sales the seller has, and the period of time they've been selling," says the ACCC spokesperson. The ACCC advises shoppers to take time to suss out a website or seller online, especially if they are new. "Well, you don't find them until you realise you've been scammed, especially when it looks legitimate," she says. Ms Cleland later found reports from other people who labelled the website a scam but it was too late. How else can you avoid falling for scams? Professor Ko believes increasing the barriers and risks to cybercriminals would reduce their rewards and motivations in perpetuating cybercrimes. Ms Cleland's case is a clear example of how scammers remain nonchalant about being reported to authorities.ĭespite the multiple reports made more than half a year ago, the website is still up and running. He argues that regulators and law enforcement can be more effective in preventing cybercrimes using traditional crime prevention methods. The scammers had suggested she keep the sunglasses or gift them to a friend or family member.Īs part of their apology, they offered a refund of 50 per cent of the full amount. Conversation with scammers went in circlesĪ couple of days after, Ms Cleland received a comical reply lined with an apology, with no acknowledgement of the scam. ![]() ![]() She then emailed the scammers, demanding a full refund after calling them out on their scheme, fully transparent about the reports she had made. ![]() Ms Cleland found the owner of the website to be an established international wholesaler.ĭetermined to take the website down, she reported the scam along with her findings to the authorities, the registered brand and the wholesaler - believing them to be a victim. The tracking number matched that on the parcel so she did some digging into the company. "Then I got another spam-looking email saying my package has been delivered." This is when she realised it was missing from her email, so she visited the online shop's FAQ section.Ī pair of unbranded black plastic sunglasses in a soft pink case surprised Ms Cleland in the mail. Psychic scams are swindling Australians out of thousands of dollars, but no one is going after the culpritsĪ couple of weeks had passed and there was still no sign of her parcel, so she decided to check the tracking information.'Terrifying' phone porting scam stealing millions but cybersecurity experts say it's unavoidable.Instead of $200 boots, Melinda was sent $2 sunnies."I thought it was a bit odd," says Ms Cleland.īut she dismissed this as a glitch and proceeded with the sale, which went through successfully. While the products were advertised in Australian dollars, the final amount had converted to American dollars at check-out. The entire purchasing process went smoothly up until the payment point. So, she decided to add another pair of shoes to her cart to take advantage of the offer. Ms Cleland says the website looked secure and even greeted her with a promotional message offering free delivery above a certain amount spent. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |