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How To Not Get Scammed While Shopping Online

Whether a victim shops from an unverified website or replies to a phishing email, online shopping scams are transactions that can take advantage of you. Avoiding these scams starts with the awareness of its existence and reading the fine prints!

Maximize Your Credit Card Protection

As an international payment platform, PayPal is subjected to the presence of schemes. More often than not, PayPal scams happen when victims are made to believe that they are paying through PayPal. Scammers mimic the PayPal website and its confirmation email to lure their preys.

Or, “interested buyers” may send fake confirmations that the payment has been made. This will prompt you to ship your product.

Stay vigilant! The PayPal community highlights that they will never send an email asking for the following:

* full bank or credit card number,
* debit card PIN number,
* driver’s license numbers,
* a listing of your email addresses,
* a listing of your physical addresses
* your full name,
* your password to PayPal or any other accounts, and
* the answers to your security questions

Shop At Legitimate Sites

It goes without saying that the first thing you have to ensure is the credibility of the website. You must check if the URL begins with an “https”. Having this means that the website is secured. The “s” indicates an additional layer of security known as the SSL or Secured Socket Layer.

For websites you have not heard about, it is recommended to read reviews about the company and its products. You may also make a small initial purchase to see whether the company is legitimate or not. This way, you can feed your curiosity while staying on the safe side.

Beware Of “Too Good To Be True” Offers

Three years ago, I was rummaging through several websites to find an iPhone model and price that I am comfortable with. I realized that I have to be cautious when it comes to filthy cheap deals. There are hundreds of those online! After purchasing, I checked the authenticity of an iPhone through its manufacturing numbers as well as through the Apple support. Much like this scenario, you must steer away from out-of-this-world offers.

Consider your health and wellness as a top priority while shopping online. Do not believe grandiose claims or get sucked into fake offers.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

How To Avoid Online Dating Scams And Losing Money

People you meet online are not always who they say they are.

In 2007, a Singaporean woman was jailed for an online dating scam amounting to about $45,000. A married woman named Maliha Ramu used a false profile to begin an exploitative relationship with Bharani Indran who lives in United States. After Ramu promised to marry Indran, he began to send her money for her “mother’s funeral expenses” and “friend’s wedding expenses”.

Protect yourself from getting conned like so by using these tips to recognize when you are being scammed:

1. BACKGROUND SEARCH

Upon meeting someone you like online, do a profile search through Google and an image search through TinEye. TinEye allows you to upload a photo and retrace where it came from. I suggest you save the person’s profile picture or ask for some photos yourself. As for the profile, he or she will be virtually searchable on Google unless this person lived under a rock for the longest time.

If the person sent you a photo that looks like something from a magazine, be a little more suspicious. And if the person’s own online profile does not match the pictures you researched then keep your warning signals up.

2. PERSONAL EMAIL

Some online dating scammers are not interested with starting an long-term deceitful relationship with you, they merely want to send you with marketing mails and other spams. These scammers ask for your personal email address and never get back to you after that.

Aside from providing your personal email to people whom you are certain of, avoid these people by creating a separate email for your online dating activities. This way, you can easily delete or cancel your supplementary email if you start getting loads of spam mails.

3. INSTANT SOULMATES

If a person says that he or she loves you and wants to marry you after 20 minutes of chatting then, it is clearly a scam or you may just be messaging with an infatuated teen! You should know from your experiences or that of others that love is more than just a feeling. It is something that develops through time after several dates and conversation exchanges. It is built on mutual respect and trust.

If a person declared his affection for you without even seeing you in person or through video-chat, then it is probably a lie. Their underlying agenda will show soon after.

4. PIGGY BANK

A person is scamming you if he or she repeatedly asks you for money through an online dating site. These con artists can come up with various reasons such as family funeral, medical emergency, and mugging to make you send cash. It does not stop there! He or she may also ask you to send some gifts to help alleviate a financial hardship or to help prove your love.

So be wary of sending money to strangers especially using wire transfer or other electronic currencies because money transferred via these channels are hard to recover.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Ways To Spot Counterfeit Singapore Notes From The Genuine Ones

Several security features in the currency notes act as shields to minimize the risk of counterfeiting. It is important for every Singaporean to know more about these security features to be able to spot between real and fake notes.

Start familiarizing yourself with these 6 ways:

1. OBSERVE THE PORTRAIT

Late Encik Yusof bin Ishak’s portrait takes up the front of the notes. As it is hand-engraved and printed in intaglio ink, it serves as an anti-counterfeiting feature that is hard to imitate. Look for this feature because the fine lines of the engraving are difficult to reproduce.

2. USE A MAGNIFYING GLASS

Upon looking at the note through a magnifying glass, you shall notice the text “BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY SINGAPORE” or “MONETARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE” printed in micro-letters above the word SINGAPORE on the front side. To the naked eye, this line appears in a singular line but the intricate details are clearly seen with the help of a magnifying glass.

3. LOOK FOR THE BRAILLE CODE

To know if it is genuine, look at the note’s unique Braille code. Each note has a Braille code at the top right corner of the front side of the note. It is printed in heavy intaglio ink so that visually handicapped individuals can easily recognize each denominations by touch.

4. USE A UV LIGHT

If you place a genuine note under the UV light, you will see that its denomination numeral, its seal, and its serial number will glow on the front. While on paper notes, fluorescent fibers will glow if the note is genuine.

5. INSPECT THE LION

If the note is genuine, the Singapore Lion symbol on the front shall register perfectly with the image on the back. It is because the front symbol is printed simultaneously with the back symbol. Also, it appears near the watermark.

6. FEEL THE NOTE

A genuine note has an “embossed feel” due to the intaglio printing. The use of intaglio printing on the engraved portrait, the Singapore Arms, the word SINGAPORE, and other parts offers good overall tactility. This is done so that even the tiny details are clearly defined.

Image Credits: quora.com

Although the number of counterfeit cases is very low, you shall report its occurrence immediately to the nearest police station or to the Commercial Affairs Department (Contact: 6325 0000).

Sources: 1, 2, 3, & 4

Don’t Be Fooled By The Con: 5 Ways To Avoid Rip-Offs

With the technological advances in this day and age, scammers are becoming more sophisticated and effective. But, no matter how charismatic and persuasive a con artist can be, you can avoid losing money by following these 5 ways:

1. DO NOT GIVE YOUR BANK DETAILS OVER THE PHONE

Most of the phones today have caller ID that shows you the number of the person or the company on the other end of the line. If you do not recognize the number or the caller and he or she asked you for your valued bank details, say you will call back. Wait for a few minutes then, try to call the number again to access the validity of the caller.

It is better to not give any sensitive details over the phone, unless if you initiated the call. Simply, if you do not recognize the caller’s number and the area code is not +65 (Singapore’s area code) then, it is most likely a scam.

2. BE CAREFUL WITH THE LINKS

To avoid downloading virus or other malware, only open attachments and links that were given by your friends, family, partners, and clients.

Apply this rule for emails and social media messaging. For instance, there was a scam that used a fake Facebook game based on the popular “Twilight” series to gather the personal information of the Twilight fans.

3. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR EMAILS

There are three “Don’ts” that you must follow to avoid becoming the target of an online scam:

a. Do not provide your personal email address freely.
b. Do not respond to emails that are asking for your personal information.
c. Do not answer emails whose senders are unknown.

Image Credits: Wikiphoto (Creative Commons License)

4. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR DEBIT AND CREDIT CARD REPORTS

If someone else assumes your identity or steals your wealth, a good way to find evidence of the crime is by checking your credit card statements. I am sure that most of the banks have online banking now so, you will have the convenience to track your spendings anytime and anywhere. Report any suspicious activity to your bank right away.

Aside from credit card fraud, you can lose more money if you are a victim of debit card fraud. Since your debit card is connected directly to your savings, losses can be more extensive. And, money will be harder to recover. This is why you must check your account frequently and be vigilant of the people who stand close to you while you are using your debit card.

5. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO DISCUSS WITH OTHERS

Con artists seek those individuals who are perceived as solitary, trusting, and gullible. If an opportunity (e.g., a new business venture or a new insurance scheme) arrives at your doorstep, do not hesitate to ask for more time to think things through.

Before making a huge decision, it is important to consider the situation and the consequences carefully. Tell the agent or the potential con artist this: “I will discuss this with my lawyer and my partner. After which, I will get back to you.”

Sources: 1 & 2

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