Online buyers and customers must be vigilant in protecting themselves from fraud and scams associated with their online behavior.
More products, lower prices and more transactions…
that’s a good thing, right?
Each year hundreds of billions of dollars in business-to-consumer online shopping is conducted and the amount is far greater when you include business-to-business transactions. Online sales are, and have been, increasing much faster than offline sales and the trend is likely to continue. Therefore, just as with all debit and credit card transactions, it is imperative to make sure both buyers and sellers feel totally secure when entering these transactions.
When fast and inexpensive becomes time consuming and very expensive
This is the first in a series of articles designed to educate or remind parties, on both sides of the transaction, of online behavior they should do to protect themselves and avoid the hassle, expense, time and aggravation of being the victim of a crime that with a little understanding and a few precautions could save months of consternation and regret.
Practice the following and you can relax while enjoying the ease and convenience of shopping online.
Be Diligent
Avoid going to suspicious websites offering products at totally unrealistic prices, gossip and nude photos of entertainment and sport celebrities, fail-proof ways to win the lottery, offers of huge sums of money from overseas people you don’t personally know or requests to send money to people you do know who have lost their cash or credit cards while traveling overseas.
Be particularly diligent if you receive e-mails or phone calls from known companies notifying you of a problem with your software or from banks saying they are checking suspicious transactions and are asking you for your password to verify that you are who you say you are. DON’T DO IT, THESE ARE SCAMS.
Never click on links in e-mails, even if they come from a friend as their computer could be affected. Always type in the name of your bank, credit card company, stock broker, etc. to assure you are going to a legitimate site.
Be very cautious when opening attachments unless you are expecting something from a friend, colleague, family member or known associate.
When shopping online, it is safer to use the company’s app than it is to enter your payment information over a phone. DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS, IF YOU BECOME THE VICTIM OF FRAUD OR A SCAM, YOU’LL WISH YOU DID THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.
According to various state attorney generals, people who should be particularly vigilant are young people who share a great deal of information, often from questionable sources, regarding sexual or salacious behavior of celebrities and senior citizens who are not technologically sophisticated and can easily fall victim to online tactics that appear credible.
Crimes against seniors, are on the rise according to various almost all state attorney generals and it’s become so common it even has it’s own name… elder fraud. Don’t become a victim.
Please see the following
State Attorney General Sites for additional information
INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD ALSO READ INFORMATION FROM:
Colleges and Universities
The FBI
Media
Senior Organizations
Franklin Wolfson is the Founder and CEO of Revenue Enhancement Worldwide, Inc., a FREE membership-based online shopping site, his company’s website is designed to bring its Members “the most rewarding shopping experience on the Internet.”
