Fraud Story #66 - Fraud in the name of free gifts

Online sellers are typically honest companies, but scammers can use the anonymity of the internet in order to steal from unsuspecting shoppers. Using the latest technology, fraudsters create fake websites that appear to be legitimate. They may use sophisticated designs and layouts, as well as stolen logos. These websites often offer popular brands of clothing, jewelry, and electronics at very low prices. In some cases, you will receive the items you paid for, but they are fake. In other cases, you may receive nothing at all.

A doctor defrauded in the name of free gifts!

A doctor from Jodhpur received a call from a lady claiming to be from a Classic Enterprise in Delhi. The lady told the doctor that he would receive an assured gift if he made the purchase from the website. According to the lady, if he bought items from the website, he would win gifts like a laptop, iPhone, LED TV as part of the 'deal of the day' scheme. The doctor, believing this to be true, ordered a laundry bag worth Rs.399/- from the website using his credit card. Four days after ordering the bag, he was notified by the same website that he won a laptop worth Rs.72,000/- as an assured gift. In order to deliver the laptop, the doctor was asked to pay Rs 5,000/-. Trusting the website, he paid Rs 5,000/- from his credit card. A few days passed and he still had not heard any news about the laptop. Upon checking the website, he was once again required to pay more money, under different terms, to get the laptop delivered to his home. Later, he realized he had been scammed.

Here are a few tips for staying safe online.

Make sure you do some research before making a purchase on an unknown website.
Please do not deal with people who ask for personal information, money in advance, or bank details.
Fraudsters use fake identification to gain trust. Keep a check on such attempts.Using digital escrow platforms as a payment method is preferred.
When you pay through an Escrow payment system over the internet, you are not sharing your information with strangers. One such platform for escrow is Vouch.

What is digital escrow?

Digital Escrow is the use of a third party account, during a transaction, which holds the money deposited by the buyer until the seller fulfills the terms of the agreement. The transacting parties are supervised by the escrow company.

How does Digital Escrow save you from online frauds in India?

Vouch’s Digital Escrow service is transparent for buyers and sellers to build trust and secure a clean transfer of product and payment. Buyers can feel assured that they will be fairly compensated promptly, and buyers will feel confident that their order will be delivered as expected and on schedule. If you ever come across a fraudster asking for OTP, asking you to scan a QR code, or asking you to click on phishing links, you can simply say no and ask him/her to proceed with the transaction through Vouch.

Vouch Digital Escrow uses a non-interest-bearing escrow account for all transactions in India 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 #66. Check back here for more fraud stories 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!