ONE of the most common online shopping scams is ordering a product and receiving nothing in return. Some customers usually complain they never receive their orders even though their credit cards are charged.

Those who dare to complain or ask for a refund find themselves on the receiving end of exorbitant ‘restocking’ or ‘cancellation’ fee. And if they object, things get even worse. Such incidents have increased manifold in the last few years. But even as we become more and more comfortable with the process, experts warn the Internet is still fraught with risks.

There is phenomenal increase in online shopping fraud and hundreds of cases have been reported and investigated every month. In some cases, people made replicas of the websites used by reputable online shopping platforms in an effort to steal cash.

Others bought up existing domain names which they then used to set up business for a short period. Consumers who use these fake websites either never see the goods they have ordered or are sent counterfeit items.

In some cases, conmen use credit card information of their victims to steal more money. In all, police received over 38,300 reports of online shopping fraud last year, although in 5,500 cases the complaint was withdrawn after the ordered goods arrived late.

I urge the authorities concerned to ensure the credibility of online shopping stores operating in Pakistan. There should also be awareness campaigns for people to let them know how to protect their banking and credit card information while making a purchase online and never enter credit card information on a website that does not have the letters ‘https’ at the start of its address.

Qaisar Ansar
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2019