Online frauds - the new common.

Online shopping is popular among humans. It is impossible to run out of choices and aisles. Businessmen, on the one side, and shoppers, on the other, find delight here. 

With the advent of social media sellers and platforms such as OLX, online shopping has gone from boring to exciting, with mass personalization accessible to all. But there are countless shoppers who lose money every day.

The victim's story

A man lost Rs 38,760 because he tried to exchange shoes he got online that were the wrong size. Jitendra Sevkani, a resident of Sardarnagar, ordered shoes online. He returned the shoes because they were ill-fitting and sought a refund. He received a call on October 17 from someone posing as a customer care executive for the firm. 

Having received a link, he was asked to fill out the information on the online form. His account was debited for Rs 38,760 shortly thereafter. A police report was filed by Jitendra, who had paid Rs 499 for the shoes on delivery.

What to do if you get a call from such a scammer?

  1. Verify details of buyer/seller before proceeding to payment.
  2. Any individual showing urgency or not waiting for a reasonable amount of time is likely to be a scammer.
  3. Don't scan a QR Code or visit a link sent by anybody over the internet.
  4. Avoid accepting or making advance payment. Accept only if the payment is made through escrow payment platforms like Vouch. In case you are the one who's supposed to pay - Do it through Vouch.
  5. Fraudsters use fake identification of the army to gain trust. Keep a check on such attempts.

How does Digital Escrow save you from online frauds?

Vouch’s Digital Escrow service is a transparent way for clients and freelancers to build trust and secure a clean transfer of product and payment. Freelancers can feel assured that they will be fairly compensated in a timely manner, and clients will feel confident that their order will be delivered as expected and on schedule. 
Vouch Digital Escrow uses a non-interest-bearing escrow account for all transactions and keeps you updated and informed at every step of the transaction process till the end. Vouch’s professionals are always available to assist you with all queries that you may have during the entire transaction process. There is no scope for deceit or fraud since the payments, shipping, delivery, and execution are carried out under the honest and watchful eyes of the Vouch’s professionals. With Vouch, any business transaction becomes transparent, uncomplicated, and hassle-free.

 This is Fraud Story #54. Check back here for more fraud chronicles and scams that you can protect yourself from.

Safety is not just about protecting your credit or debit card number. It's about having control of your money till you've received the product or service you bought online!

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Note: This is a good-faith initiative to educate the world about how to avoid frauds like these. Do you have a fraud that you would like to report? Please write to us at letstalk@iamvouched.com