The popularity of marketplaces among Ukrainians is growing, which creates a field of activity for scammers. One of the most common scammers' schemes is phishing links that imitate the appearance of marketplaces and are intended to lure bank card data.
How to protect yourself from phishing scams on marketplaces: tips for Ukrainians
The popularity of online shopping in Ukraine is growing every year, and marketplaces are becoming the main platforms for shopping. But with this comes new threats, in particular, fraudulent schemes aimed at extracting personal data and money from users. One of the most common schemes is phishing links that imitate the appearance of popular marketplaces.
What is phishing and how does it work?
Today, we will be told about this by the operational officers of the 9th department (operational search and partnership in the field of information technologies) of the Cybercrime Countermeasures Department in Kyiv, police lieutenants Osadcha Natalia and Prontenko Liliya, first of all phishing — is a fraudulent practice where attackers try to obtain a user’s confidential information, such as logins, passwords, or bank card details. To do this, they create fake websites that look similar to genuine platforms, such as marketplaces. By visiting such a link, users may accidentally enter their personal data or pay for a purchase through a dangerous resource.
How to recognize phishing?
✅ Check the URL. Official marketplace sites have correct and safe domain names (e.g., “rozetka.ua” or “olx.ua”). However, if the link contains questionable symbols, additional numbers or letters, or if the address looks slightly altered, e.g., “roz3tka.ua” or “olx.com.ua,” this may be a sign of phishing.
✅ Check the site design. Fake sites often look similar to the real thing, but usually have poor graphics, text errors, or an unusual structure. If you notice any of these flaws, it's best to leave the site.
✅ Pay attention to newsletters. Legitimate marketplaces typically don't ask for personal information via email or messenger, so be cautious if you receive such a request.
✅ Verification via the official website or app. If you think you are being contacted by an official marketplace, it is better to visit the site or open the app through a trusted channel, rather than via a link in an email or message.
❌ Beware of suspicious messages. If you receive emails or social media messages with links to “gifts” or “discounts,” it could be an attempt to lure you to a fake website. Often, such messages contain calls to urgently enter data or make a payment.
How to protect yourself from phishing?
✅ Use two-factor authentication. Most modern marketplaces offer additional security features, such as SMS codes or in-app verification, which reduces the risk of unauthorized access to your account.
✅ Verify your purchase via the app or official website. Do not enter your payment details on third-party sites. Always use only trusted resources.
✅ Stay up to date with security updates. Make sure your browser and operating system are updated to the latest versions. This will help protect you from many online threats.
✅ Be careful with public Wi-Fi networks. Avoid making purchases or entering personal information when connected to unsecured networks.
❌ Don't trust offers that are too good to be true.. If an offer seems too good to be true, it's probably a trap.
Remember that your financial health is in your hands!
In addition to the above information, we ask you to join the social project "BRAMA" - a project that was created with the support of the Cyber Police of Ukraine and volunteer organizations to combat disinformation and block illegal content.
The head of the Department of Counteracting Cybercrime in the city of Kyiv, Police Captain Andriy Mykolayovych Parkhomenko, stated,
that the main goal is to cleanse the information space of Russian propaganda and disinformation distribution services, as well as to destroy centers of illegal distribution of prohibited content.
The mission is to quantitatively reduce the presence of Russians spreading propaganda materials in the media space and to qualitatively teach how to identify and dispose of hostile content.
To be part of the project, users only need to have a mobile phone or computer and a little time that the user is willing to devote to an important cause.
The task of participants is to send complaints about the posts, services, links, etc. provided by us. The more complaints, the greater the likelihood of blocking the content.
We invite you to join us. social project "BRAMA"
