Hello! I'm Shemihaza, the Sentinel. Online shopping has become a daily routine for most of us, hasn't it? But behind that convenience lurks "online shopping fraud," aiming for your precious money and personal information.
Have you ever thought, "Is it really this cheap?" or "Something feels suspicious..."? Today, I'll share important tips to help you spot online shopping scams that approach with cunning tactics.
Terrifying Tactics of Online Shopping Scams Hiding in "Sweet Temptations"
- ▸① Scamming with "fake" shops that look exactly like famous sites. You're directed to counterfeit shopping sites so cleverly designed that they're indistinguishable from the real thing at first glance. Characteristics include a slightly different address (URL) or unnaturally phrased Japanese on the site.
- ▸② Scamming by rushing you with "unbelievably low prices." Be wary if you see popular products sold at significantly lower prices than you'd expect elsewhere. Even if you order and pay, the item may never arrive, or in worse cases, a completely different fake product might be sent.
- ▸③ Scamming by demanding suspicious "post-payment" or "bank transfers." Sometimes, credit cards are unavailable, and only bank transfers (often to an individual's account) or unfamiliar "post-payment" services are offered. Additionally, scams are increasing where you're suddenly billed for an unknown item via "post-payment."
- ▸④ Scamming by rushing purchases with "limited time only!" or "only a few left!" tactics. They use phrases like "low stock" or "today only" to make you feel rushed and prevent you from making a calm decision.
Checkpoints for Safe Online Shopping
- ✓Check if the website's address (URL) perfectly matches the genuine address you usually use, without a single character difference.
- ✓Verify that the shop's company information (address, phone number) is properly listed and that you can actually contact them. Be especially suspicious of scam sites if the phone number is an international format, the email address is a free email service, or the number of digits doesn't seem right.
- ✓Check if the price of the item you intend to buy isn't excessively cheaper compared to other stores. If it's too cheap, there's a high probability it's a fake or a scam where the product won't be delivered.
- ✓Carefully read the text on the site for any strange Japanese, typos, or grammatical errors. Sites with a lot of unnatural Japanese, like those from machine translation, are highly suspicious.
- ✓Check if payment methods are limited, with credit cards unavailable, and only bank transfers (to individual accounts) or specific "post-payment" services offered. Be suspicious if there are too few payment options.
- ✓Before proceeding with a purchase, search the internet using the site name or company name to see if there's any negative information like "scam," "fake site," or "trouble."
- ✓Check if the security software on your smartphone or computer is issuing any warnings about the site.
Where to Seek Help When in Trouble
If you ever think, "Could this be a scam?", it's crucial to contact a reliable consultation service immediately. You can consult the Consumer Hotline (dial 188 without an area code) or the Police Consultation Dial (#9110). If you've already entered your credit card information, contact your card company right away and request to suspend its use.