Fraud attempts are on the rise as fraudsters take advantage of consumers’ attempts to stay at home and shop online, according to a new report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). During the COVID 19 crisis, attempts at fraud in the area of online extortion increased and the Cybercrime Complaints Centre recorded an increase in complaints of fraud in online shopping and attempts at extortion. Sources: 18
Online shopping, the company says, is the most commonly reported type of coronavirus – fraud involving predators who take advantage of economic breaks that, it says, are “too good to be true. Of the 1,490 reported cases in Texas, 2,500 were reported to companies that help consumers verify online identities to avoid fraud, according to the report. Sources: 10
Analysing its data on customer fraud complaints, NatWest says there has been an increase in shopping fraud in the past month, with items listed online and never arriving after they have been paid. The FBI has received several complaints from victims who say they did not receive the items they bought or that searching for a particular item on an online shopping site led to a fraudulent website. Sources: 2, 15
DHS and Customs warn that potential fraudsters are using excessive discounts and sweepstakes to target unsuspecting consumers who want to save money online. However, many more fraudsters are trying to lure people away from legitimate sellers, who often fake malicious websites and apps, and drive them into the arms of the scammers. Sources: 6, 13
A new version of the online shopping scam involves setting up a fake online shop. The scammers dupe an online shopping website or app that looks similar to a real retailer but has a deliberately misleading, legitimate name. Sources: 11, 20
The scammers distract the victim from the online site and request a credit card number or other personal information such as a social security number. The scammers distract victims from online shopping fraud: the scammer requires an identity, credit card or even a social security number for an online shopping site or app.
If you are a victim of online shopping fraud, act immediately by calling your bank or credit card company and filing a police report. However, as mentioned in this article, none of these promotions is foolproof, and you can still be scammed when shopping online, especially if you cheat. If you have been a victim, you should report to the police as soon as possible, even if it is too late.
If you feel that you or someone you know has been the victim of a car purchase – and you are buying a scam – report it immediately. If you are worried about the validity of your credit card or other credit cards, contact your bank as soon as possible.Â
Here you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Go to your local law enforcement fraud reporting page and select “Consumers” from the top navigation menu to report fraud, scams, and other forms of online fraud in your area. There are many other ways to file a fraud complaint with your state’s consumer protection agency.Â
If you believe you have been a victim of cyber fraud or cybercrime, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). If you believe you have already made a purchase on a fraudulent website, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.Â
Visit the Foreign Office website to learn more about common scams and whether you have been a victim of international fraud. For more information about fraud in America, visit the US Department of Homeland Security fraud page and the Federal Trade Commission website. Visit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website and its website for information on online fraud and online fraud, as well as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Law (NACL) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFL – CIO) websites for tips and hints on how to learn more about cheating.Â
Stay ahead of online fraudsters and identity thieves by using these tips to protect your personal information when shopping online. Consumers and retailers can avoid falling victim to e-commerce scams by paying attention to and becoming aware of the many scams that are occurring on the Internet.Â
If you see something that you think is a scam, report it to your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible, even if you don’t see it yourself. You can report scams to the Better Business Bureau, and Reddit has a page where you can also list scams that can be found when other consumers google for suspicious incidents.Â
Another common scam you will encounter online is what is known as a fake lottery scam. This type of scam could come in the form of a trusted website and could often be visited by you, but it is a scammer who has created it for the main purpose of the rip-off. It sounds like a “fake lottery” scam: someone contacts you and says they will earn you hundreds of dollars a day by doing nothing more than shopping online.Â
