Online shopping is gaining in popularity every year. And this is understandable – in addition to the fact that there is no need to even leave your home, you can also compare prices on different resources, choose the cheapest option, and order home delivery. Swindlers are also moving into the virtual space. To make shopping on the Internet safe, you should not neglect some rules and “know the enemy by sight”.

Fake pages of online stores

Many connoisseurs of certain goods of famous brands have long flowed into the network because these are additional discounts, promos, gifts, and the like. Scammers only need to copy a well-known website and impersonate a real seller. Fake websites look similar to the original ones and may differ by only one letter in the address bar. For you to definitely take advantage of the "chance", the prices will be attractive – by 20-25%, or even half the market prices, besides, such generosity is limited in time, you will be given a discount "only now", or the countdown counter will psychologically pressure – "until the end of the promo is left ...". Everything will be done for you to make an advance payment.

Social media trading

Now tired ones of the "Chinese diversity" consumers willingly buy truly exclusive products from manufacturers. And many send goods to buyers honestly. However, there are enough "air" traders. As soon as the victim pays for the goods, the fraudster will stop responding to messages, phone calls, and block the victim's social media pages.

Sellers on online platforms

Here are two of the most popular scams. The seller of the goods on various occasions demands to pay for the purchase in advance and, having received the money, disappears. Or the seller requires large advance payment for the goods and then also becomes out of reach with your funds.

Журнал «Народний банкір» №15/2021

Fraudulent buyers

The most common scheme, in this case, is when a pseudo-buyer calls the seller, agrees to transfer money for the goods and finds out the card number. Then another fraudster calls the seller and pretends to be a bank employee through which, allegedly, the funds are transferred to the seller's card. An imaginary "banker" persuades the seller to disclose the confidential details of his card in order to "accept payment", says that a legal entity is transferred to him and he is subject to financial monitoring and the funds will be blocked. And then it is already clear what happens to the funds on the card.

In order not to become a victim of scammers, you should know:

1. Websites that accept online payments must be protected – in the address they must contain https:// and the " " icon. The website must have icons for protecting online purchases from payment systems – Verified by Visa and Mastercard SecureCode.
2. Order a separate card from the bank for online payments. It is only necessary to transfer on it the amount required for a specific purchase. Only it can be opened for transactions on the Internet.
3.  You should only provide the 16-digit number of your card to the buyer (if you are a seller). It is possible, but not required, to give your first and last name.
4. If you have a purchase for a large amount, it is worth checking the seller/buyer on the STOP FRAUD cyber police service or find out the details of the website whose services you are going to use, whether it is on the list of fraudulent EMA Black List.
5. Do not use the phone number linked to your bank account in social networks, advertisements, and contacts with counterparties/customers. Set PIN to SIM with complex 8 digit password and phone screen lock password. Prevent the ability to replace the SIM card remotely.

What you should be on the alert when shopping online

Seller

• Offers too low cost of goods.
• Does not agree to a postpaid purchase or asks to transfer an advance payment to the card.
• Confuses about the characteristics of goods.
• Hastens with payment for goods.
• Payment is made to a card issued with a surname that does not match the seller's surname.
• Sends copies of his documents to build credibility.
• Transfers communication from a personal account on a website bulletin board to a messenger.
• Asks you to remove the limit on the card for making a payment, allegedly he received a notification from the bank about this.
• Warns that now you will receive an SMS to confirm the order or pay for the goods.

Buyer 

• Deceives the full details of the card – a three-digit number on the back of the card, its validity period. For example, "there are problems with payment due to the fact that the payment is on behalf of a legal entity" and you need more information about the card.

Be careful and follow the rules for safe online shopping!

Журнал «Народний банкір» №15/2021

Note

Always keep it secret:

• PIN-code for the payment card
• the 3-digit number on the back of the card (CVV-code)
• card expiration date
• SMS codes from banks and mobile operators
• passwords for Internet banking (carefully look at the name of the Internet banking page) 

Fraud insurance
Leading banks offer fraud insurance programs to customers that cover the most common types of debit card fraud. For example, PUMB has "Protection against fraudsters" insurance. The insurance limit is 20,000 UAH. For just 200 hryvnias per year (the cost of connecting the service), a customer will receive a guarantee for compensation within 15 days of the amount stolen by fraudsters from the card account within the insurance limit.

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