5 shopping rules: how to shop online and avoid being scammed

It's no secret that online shopping is mastered even by those who are traditionally far from the Internet - our grandmothers, mothers and even children. Sell children's things, buy gifts for the whole family, and even those rare things that cannot be found on the shelves in shopping centers: cherished boots from the previous collection, a toy that all kids dream of, or a drill. Online shopping, like shopping, has its own rules - what is worth remembering when choosing products on the Internet, says Avito security expert Kirill Lavrov.

Too low price - a reason to be wary

We're used to being suspicious of 90% discounts on sales in malls, but we're not always as critical of such offers online. Of course, here the seller does not need to spend money on rent and advertising, and the product may be second-hand - but is this a reason to sell at a loss?

Fraudsters often attract people with favorable prices for in-demand goods, and then report that there are many who want to buy the coveted attachment or stroller, and to "book" the purchase, you need to make an advance payment. All this is a reason to inform the support service of the site - but not to transfer money to strangers, no matter what they say or what they sell.

It is better to discuss the terms of the deal right on the site

Most likely, you are used to texting on WhatsApp, and you can find out all the details and characteristics of a product faster by phone - especially if you have something to ask about, for example, when buying a car. But buying or selling goods online is just the case when it is worth changing habits and discussing all the emerging issues in the platform's built-in messenger, and insistent demands to discuss everything by phone or SMS should just be alarming.

Fraudsters do their best to take users away from the site or application, where their actions can be controlled by the security system: prohibit forwarding links to external resources, show warnings about possible danger - in general, in every possible way to interfere with deception. For example, sending links to external resources is prohibited on Avito, and this is one of the popular fraud schemes: attackers create copies of payment forms of well-known banks and platforms and send them under various pretexts - from ordering delivery to quickly receiving money for goods.

Leaving the card details on such a site, a person actually transfers access to the funds on it to scammers. And since it is impossible to send such a link directly on the platform - they can be blocked for this - you need to lure a person out of it.

Do not follow the links that are sent to you

So, before you is a message with a link - do not click on it, fake sites can copy not only payment forms, but even entire online stores or delivery services. After all, it is not difficult for an experienced designer and developer to repeat a design that everyone can easily recognize. But it is still possible to recognize such fakes, just look carefully at the address in the browser line, if it says payavito.ru or av1t0.ru instead of avito.ru, this is a fake. The best thing to do in this case is to report the find to the support service, so you will not only save your money, but also help detect and neutralize intruders.

Do not transfer or accept prepayment

By itself, prepayment is a common practice on marketplaces, but if you buy goods from a private seller, and he requires you to deposit money in advance, do not agree. Transferring money to strangers is not safe - this rule seems obvious, but in the pursuit of a great deal, buyers sometimes forget about it.

You should also be suspicious of offers to send you part of the amount, especially if you did not ask for it. If you're selling an expensive item, like a wedding dress or an iPhone, take advantage of the Safe Deal feature offered by major venues. In this case, the platform itself acts as a guarantor of the transaction, and as soon as the buyer receives the goods, the money will come to your card - and no prepayment or advance payment is required.

Never tell anyone your card details and codes from SMS

No one will ever ask you for a card code or a combination of numbers from a message - not even bank employees or support services of the site. Whoever they represent and under whatever pretext they ask you for this data, you can be sure that only scammers ask such questions, which means that you need to hang up and report them to the security service of the bank or online service.

Shopping on the Internet is no more difficult than going shopping - and the security rules are just as simple here: do not give the wallet key (card code) to anyone, do not go to unfamiliar places and do not trust suspiciously low prices too much.

With simple security rules, you can easily recognize intruders and make online purchases a joy. After all, where else can you find a bag, a dress, and the very boots that sunk into the soul in the fall?