To raise awareness of citizens about fraud on the Internet, the Cyber Police Department of Ukraine developed a list of tips that can help network users protect themselves from scammers on the Internet. By sharing this information, we can work together to fight these crimes and keep the online environment safe.
How not to fall into the trap of fraudsters during online shopping
You can buy anything on the Internet. Simple, convenient and fast. However, it is worth remembering that there are risks of being affected by the actions of swindlers, because the sale of non-existent goods is the most common fraud scheme in the virtual space. We remind you of the rules of safe online shopping.
Most often, criminals deceive citizens by selling non-existent goods on classifieds sites or in social networks. As a rule, in such cases, the main condition of purchase is full or partial overpayment. Fraud can also be indicated by a significantly lower price of the product compared to similar offers.
Another common scheme of fraudsters is the creation of phishing resources that look like popular online stores. By paying on such sites, the buyer is not only left without the desired product, but also "hands over" bank card data to the scammer. In the future, possessing such information, criminals appropriate money from citizens' accounts.
The Cyber Police recommends following the following tips for safe online shopping:
— buy and pay only on verified resources and make sure that the URL of the required site is correct. Even the slightest discrepancy can mean that the user has landed on a phishing site;
— give preference to post-payment in order to minimize the risks of fraudulent possession of money;
— do not share your bank card details with anyone (especially the CVV code and expiration date);
— for online shopping, it is better to get a separate internet card and transfer to it only the amount necessary for payment;
— in the case of a purchase on an advertising platform, discuss the details of the deal only in the chat of this platform and do not go to third-party messengers: attackers can send phishing links there.
How to avoid becoming a victim of phishing scams
Phishing is one of the most common types of fraud on the Internet. Criminals create phishing sites to obtain valuable data, including bank card data, for further embezzlement of victims' money.
Such sites may completely copy the design of marketplaces, banks, ad platforms, currency exchange services, delivery services or other resources where users enter card data for payment.
During the martial law, schemes using phishing sites, which are disguised as resources for the registration of social payments from the state, funds, and international organizations, became popular.
Any difference in the URL (extra characters, incorrect spelling) can indicate a phishing site. Users should always pay attention to the address of the required site, and also not to follow suspicious hyperlinks and not to enter confidential data.
For online shopping, we recommend using verified sites, and obtaining information about social benefits only from the official pages of state bodies. Attackers can also use phishing schemes on ad platforms. Therefore, when buying and selling goods, discuss the details of the deal only in the chat of this platform and do not go to third-party messengers.
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