If you ever find yourself hurriedly checking your phone while comparing images of the stunning and colorful garment you ordered to the tattered, worn, and filthy clothes they brought, you may have been the victim of a fraud. Naturally, you made an effort to offer a rational explanation because you thought the seller made a mistake. But when you contact the vendor and get a negative response, or in some extreme circumstances, learn you've been blocked, reality sets in.

Then you can concede that the "What you got vs what you ordered" deception affected you. It's challenging to tell whether social media vendors are legitimate due to the rising quantity of them, especially on Instagram.

Fake in the sense that there are a lot of Instagram businesses offering customers subpar services. A excellent example is a food vendor who delivers spoiled food or a hair dealer who advertises that they only sell human hair but instead sends consumers synthetic hair. We offer five pointers that will enable you to recognize a fake Instagram seller account in order to prevent falling victim to this "con".


0 reviews

Of all the warning signs, this is the most obvious. In actuality, reviews aid in predicting a product's efficacy. Let's say a company account on Instagram has no product reviews. It denotes either people's unhappiness or the fact that nobody buys from the provider.

What would you do in the event that all the reviews were unfavorable? 

Online pictures

Another warning sign that proudly waves in your face is when it seems like the dealer downloaded most of the product photographs from the internet. Many vendors are aware of the importance of product photography in communicating the legitimacy of their brands before they even launch their businesses. Therefore, a business Instagram account without authentic product images has a high chance of sending customers faulty goods.

Inactiveness

Being online active is a requirement for starting an Instagram store. If you discover a seller is infrequently active or replying to messages, don't try to place an order. It's because an inactive vendor will always respond slowly, making it impossible to address any product issues with a quick fix.

The cost appears to be too good to be true.

Let's face it, we all prefer inexpensive goods, but when they seem noticeably less expensive, there is clearly a problem. Therefore, avoid buying from sellers who charge exorbitant costs unless it's Black Friday or a promotional offer.

There's no one behind the brand.

Every brand has a person working to make money behind it. Identifying an owner is one way that brands can be held accountable. Discard the idea of placing an order if you see that there isn't a post or a tag mentioning the owner of an Instagram business account.


Nobody desires to be known as a fraud. However, those who publicly represent an internet brand would make sure that only the greatest services were offered to clients.

How to protect your money in case you want to give a chance to the Vendor?

A "Release on Delivery" (ROD) payment service provided by VOUCH is an alternative to "cash on delivery," as it protects the interests of the merchant and safeguards the rights of the customer. 

How does it work? - As part of this system, buyers can choose the RoD payment method and make payments using credit cards, debit cards, or net banking. In turn, the RoD method ensures that the money of the buyer will be totally safe in an escrow account. In this way, the seller becomes confident that the buyer will pay. Only after the buyer gives instruction to the escrow company to release the money upon delivery of the product is the payment released. There is also a dispute resolution team that deals with all product and delivery issues.

It appears that this is a great service that not only protects buyers, but also makes it easy for merchants to convert those who choose cash on delivery due to trust issues to try out online payments safely.

How to avoid getting scammed?

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. You should never scan a QR code, share an OTP, or visit a link given by anyone on the internet.

4. Your One Time Password (OTP), UPI pin, and other secret information should not be shared on WhatsApp. Never provide banking information if anyone asks you to and always contact your bank. There is a possibility of fraud here.

5. It is recommended that digital escrow platforms be used for payment. When making an online payment with Escrow, you do not share your financial information with anyone. There is a platform for escrow called Vouch.

Digital Escrow Service In India.

Digital escrow services are offered by many companies in India. Among the most trusted is Vouch

Vouch’s Digital Escrow service is a transparent way for buyers and sellers to build trust and secure a clean transfer of product and payment. Sellers 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. Vouch Digital Escrow 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.

Check back here to learn more about Escrow and how to protect yourself from fraud.

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

As you're now aware of the importance of online safety, let's get your transactions secure on Vouch. It's just a click away.