Social media is an incredible phenomenon that has stimulated the development of most industries in the modern world. The world of shopping has been completely transformed by the internet, and more recently, by social media. Long gone are the days when an arduous day of dragging your partner around the high street department stores was the only way to find and purchase new products.
Today, the transaction of money for goods is facilitated with just a few clicks on our phones – this ease of transaction has sinister implications for the threat of scams, though. Here is a quick guide on how best to avoid being scammed online.
Research the business!
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Scammers lurk in the concealed depths of social media, hiding their identity behind their screen and instead posing as a ‘credible’ online store. In a shocking statistic, it was revealed that hundreds of millions of pounds are lost each year to online scams that stem from social media.
Many of these scams are a result of users trusting a store or brand which they stumble across online without conducting proper research. While research suggests that the Generation Z are more prone to recognising untrustworthy companies online, the threat of these scams can be difficult for anyone to detect without proper research. Hence, conducting thorough background checks via Google searches and online reviews should tell you enough about the company – if there is little recorded about the company online, it’s probably a red flag!
Study the website
Features of the website can often be indicative of the company’s legitimacy; does the price appear too good to be true about competitors’ prices? A comparison of different sellers should give you an average price to use for comparisons.
Is the website secure? Identifying the padlock that appears in the URL bar of the site can reveal the authenticity of the site; its presence means that your data is protected through encryption, while its absence indicates a lack of protection.
Is there evidence of a legitimate workforce? Readily available contact details and a registered address for the company may suggest that the company is legit – dodgy companies will often try to hide or completely omit the inclusion of this information as it is often a giveaway of their true intent.
Use protected payment methods
Should you wish to try your luck with a company you have found online, be sure to provide yourself with another layer of security via a safe transaction. A payment platform like PayPal or the optimisation of credit cards can entitle you to a full refund in the event of an online scam. Note that this should be a last line of defence, committed only after the other thorough checks have been conducted.
The internet can be a scary place, filled with individuals with bad intentions. Scammers look to take advantage of the trust people have in social media and the things they see online, so it is imperative to make yourself aware of how to protect yourself online. Stay safe and be sure to follow this advice before purchasing anything online!
