Staying safe while shopping online

IN A DAY and age where online purchases continue to rise, so does the prevalence of scams and Victoria Police are warning people to stay vigilant.

Sophisticated scammers can send text messages that appear to come from legitimate sender IDs, sometimes even showing up in the same thread as real messages.

This makes them harder to detect and easier for people to fall for them.

People are encouraged to always remember to:

Never open suspicious links

Never reply to suspicious messages

Always check the URL is legitimate, or navigate to the website independently instead of clicking links.

Expecting a delivery? Only use the official app or website of the delivery service to track your parcels or update your details.

Scammers are also becoming more savvy online, tricking people into paying for fake products or services, often setting up fake profiles or websites.

Often deals offered by these scammers are too good to be true and will request people to pay them using unusual methods.

To prevent being scammed while shopping, people are reminded to

Research the seller

Make sure the website is secure

Keep their identity safe

Pay safely

Exchange goods safely

Sell safely.

People who believe they have been scammed while shopping online should immediately contact their bank and change their passwords.

For more information and to report cybercrime, scams, fraud and online abuse, head to police.vic.gov.au/cybercrime-fraud-scams-online-safety

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