Police and Netsafe are warning Northlanders to do their research before buying items online to avoid being targeted by scammers.
Photo / Supplied
Police and Netsafe are warning Northlanders to do their research before buying items online to avoid being targeted by scammers.
Photo / Supplied
An increase in online shopping scams since the lockdown has Northland police and an internet watchdog warning people to be cautious when buying goods via the internet.
Police are receiving regular complaints of fraud from Northlanders who think they are bagging an amazing bargain, only to not receive any itemsafter paying for them.
Netsafe has seen a 30 per cent increase in fraud complaints from online shoppers throughout New Zealand since the lockdown which its chief executive described as a "pretty big uplift".
Whangārei police detective Senior Sergeant John Clayton is urging people to be careful when buying goods from those they don't know off Facebook, particularly if the account looks recently set up and does not have proof of extensive and positive sales history.
"Similarly, on Trade Me, police also urge people to check that the seller has a proven track record with a history of positive feedback. Police also advise people to see the item before purchasing if possible."
Most complaints centred around items such as cellphones, other electronics, and tools.
"Accounts are easy to set up and delete. Some people have multiple accounts and often once the goods are paid, the Facebook page is deleted, or the person stops correspondence or claims the goods were sent,'' Clayton said.
"In general, if you can see the item before purchasing, that would be the preferred option. Pay a deposit where possible and pick the item up.
"Please be cautious and think twice before putting your hard-earned cash in some unknown person's account in the hope that they will sell/send you that bargain.
"As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Detective Senior Sergeant John Clayton urging Northlanders to be cautious when buying goods online and more so if accounts look recently set up.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker said the more people were being forced to shop online during the lockdown, the higher the chances of cyber crimes happening.
"It's possible to create adverts and websites that look entirely legit but are in fact false. But there's no visible or obvious signs they are not legit so people will have to exercise extra levels of caution,'' Cocker said.
"Buyers should do their research by putting details of offers, shop names and other relevant information in Google search and see what that comes up with. It's safest to deal with local businesses."
Cocker said often when items were being offered at super cheap prices over local retail outlets, that should serve as a possible red flag.
"We know that scammers target people who are new, however, there's as much risk being overconfident than new to e-commerce. The more people shop online, the more the variety of scams that come up."
Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker said there's been a 30 percent increase in fraud complaints from online shoppers.
Photo / NZME
He said most of the scams were run from overseas so the chances of recovering money was next to nil.
"Although we've seen a 30 per cent uplift in reported cases since the lockdown, what we are not seeing is money lost which means people who are new to online shopping are being overly cautious."
Cocker said online shoppers should pause if items were being sold at unusually low prices, buyers forced them to make decisions quickly which scammers typically did, and to do research especially when dealing with new buyers.
