Lately I have been reading quite a lot of people's stories about being swindled of their money by internet scammers under the guise of being online retailers. Here are a few tips that can help you avoid this and mitigate risk of transacting online.
Do not purchase or send financial remittances to an individual whom you have never met in person
Now this is the most rampant & easiest to avoid. How do you, in your right mind, send money to a complete stranger and pray they are going to deliver on their promises. I see that people usually trust good looking women who claim they are selling products but are simply scammers. Do not trust a face you meet online - for all you know it's a male serial killer who has a woman as their profile picture. Don't do it* ⚠
Before soliciting a service or product from the internet via an "online store" make sure you run a background check and read extensively their reviews and for how long they have been in business
Read more about them & know who they are. There are people selling products on Instagram & Facebook who have recently, a few days ago, opened their accounts - they are usually scammers be circumspect! 👀
Do not enter your credit or debit card information on websites that are not accredited, have no accessible ratings and no history of good reviews. If it seems malicious - it most probably is
Don't do it ⚠
After taking all the abovementioned precautions and feel you are good to go and you are required to give your banking details; i) Make sure your credit card details are encrypted.
ii.) Refrain from using personal details such as your birthday, maiden name & phone number.
If anything is to go wrong while a credit or debit card purchase you are protected by law. Go to your bank.
On international transactions make sure the store has a coherent shipping policy & you have read & understand it thoroughly. Make sure you read their refund policy if applicable. Also make sure you study the shipping costs, product pricing and are aware of the total cost
Don't find yourself paying hidden costs ⚠
I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE TO YOU. SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND SAVE THE WORLD 💪