Online Shopping & Auctions – Threatened by Fraud

Research by SOCA, in partnership with the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, has identified that online shopping frauds continue to pose a significant financial risk to both UK and overseas consumers.

Online shopping and auction fraud generally involves an advance payment being sent for a good or service that does not arrive as agreed.

 

Always be careful when buying or selling online with people based overseas or when using auction websites. There is a risk that the goods, particularly high value goods, will not arrive or may not be of the size or quality that you paid for.

 

Fraudsters may try and pay for auction items with a larger payment than required, often by cheque. They then ask you to return the over payment by a transfer. When the cheque fails to clear you may be left out of pocket or worse, may unwittingly have been used as a mule for money laundering.

 

If you or someone close to you is buying or selling online, particularly with people or businesses abroad please bear in mind the following points:

 

Do:

 

• Do contact Action Fraud at ActionFraud.org.uk or 0300 123 2040 to report a crime or seek advice.
• Do speak to a family member or friend for advice if you are in doubt.

• Do keep a record of all letters, including emails and envelopes.
• Do conduct your own research. Check names or website details through an internet search engine. Many victims now post information online and there are websites which expose fake buyers and sellers.
• Do be suspicious if a buyer overpays for an item and asks for the difference to be refunded by money transfer.
• Do be suspicious if the seller claims initial payments are not sufficient or that further costs have been incurred for extra products, delivery charges or importation taxes.
• Do be aware that fraudsters prefer payments via a money transfer agent rather than a bank transfer.
• Do be particularly cautious if you are asked for payment to be made  

Outside of the secure online systems usually used.

• Do be vigilant. Fraudsters are adept at changing their approach; new fake websites selling goods will spring up.

Don't:

 

• Don't give out personal or financial details until certain the buyer or seller is legitimate. Fraudsters may use these to steal your identity which allows them to commit other kinds of fraud.
• Don't be convinced by persuasive letters or emails with legitimate looking logos, fraudsters design their correspondence to be plausible.

• Don't always trust what appear to be UK addresses or phone numbers. They can be acquired by fraudsters and can easily be set to divert to anywhere in the world. Telephone numbers that begin with 070 or 076 indicate that the buyer or seller is probably located somewhere other than the UK.

 

 

Remember if an offer appears too good to be true, it probably is!

 

 

Advice

 

• If you feel that you may have been contacted by a fraudster take immediate action and contact ActionFraud.org.uk online or call        0300 123 2040.

• To protect your address, contact the Mail Preference Service                0845 703 4599, or www.MPSonline.org.uk.

• To protect your phone line, call Telephone Protection Service              0845 0700707, www.tpsonline.org.uk.

• There is further information on our website at www.soca.gov.uk

 

About SOCA

 

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) tackles organised crime that affects the UK and our citizens. This includes drug crime, gun crime and fraud. We want to ensure that crime doesn't pay and that it is harder to commit. SOCA works to put serious criminals behind bars and engage with partners like Neighbourhood Watch to fight crime and keep you safe. 

 

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