As of: March 18, 2024, 6:02 a.m
By: Ulrike Hagen, Kilian Bäuml
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Apparent bargains on the Internet can be expensive traps.
Fake shops and questionable payment options put consumers in distress.
Bremen – Internet shopping has experienced a boom, and not just since the outbreak of the corona pandemic.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, 82 percent of 16 to 74 year olds in Germany will have shopped online at least once in 2023.
But this huge market also attracts criminals who use fake online shops, so-called fake shops, to attract customers.
You should also be careful with online shops from the Netherlands.
They entice you with seductively low prices for high-quality products.
“The providers keep up with the times.
These are often sought-after goods that are otherwise out of stock everywhere, such as limited-edition sneakers,” explains Simon Götze, a consumer protection expert at the Berlin Consumer Center, in an interview with
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
When cheap becomes really expensive: everything is much cheaper in fake shops.
Consumer advice centers warn of scams.
(Symbolic photo) © Imago/Ruslan Rizvanov
Be careful when buying online: fake shops and 'buy now, pay later' are a risk
But the supposed bargains often turn out to be an expensive trap.
After the money has been transferred, there is often radio silence or customers are repeatedly put off.
Ultimately, the shop operators no longer respond to emails and it is not possible to contact them by telephone.
As a rule, the affected consumers never see their money again and certainly not the goods.
“Another variant is sending cheap counterfeit goods, especially in the clothing sector,” adds Götze.
In 2023 alone, the consumer advice center received over 6,900 complaints about fake shops, almost six times as many as in 2020.
How to protect yourself from rip-offs on the Internet: 7 safety tips for online orders
Be skeptical if you are offered products at an extremely low price that you cannot find from other sellers.
Ask yourself why a store offers the products at a much cheaper price than the competition.
Check the website's legal notice.
If important information about the seller is missing or the imprint is not available at all, you should refrain from placing an order.
Use the register portal to check whether the company is actually registered under the specified commercial register number.
Enter only the number without the addition “HRB”.
If the registration number is incorrect, you should not purchase.
Trust in recognized seals of quality such as “Safer Shopping” and “Trusted Shops”.
On their websites you can enter the seller's Internet address and check whether the seal has actually been awarded.
For example, if a shop uses the Trusted Shops seal, you should click on it.
Only if it is linked and you are redirected to the certification page can you order with confidence.
If you have already ordered from a fake shop and have not received the goods even though you have already paid, you should contact your financial institution and try to get the money back.
Also, file a criminal complaint with the police immediately.
Source: Hamburg Consumer Center
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Fake shops and hidden credit traps: The dark side of online shopping
To help consumers shop more safely online, the consumer advice center offers a constantly updated fake shop finder.
“The constantly updated fake shop finder from consumer advice centers helps to make online shopping safer,” recommends Götze.
Here, consumers can enter the shop's address and immediately receive a rating according to the traffic light system, which indicates whether it is a reputable provider.
So far, 1.48 million websites have been checked in this way and 56,500 fake shops have been identified.
An online shop has even filed a lawsuit against a fake shop.
But even the online giant Amazon, which many buyers trust as a reputable platform, is not immune to fraud, warns the Lower Saxony State Criminal Police Office.
In addition to direct purchases, Amazon also offers a marketplace where sellers can offer their products.
But it is precisely here that reports of fake or manipulated shops are increasing.
The perpetrators open their own marketplace shops or take over reputable shops through phishing.
“In order to complete the sale, customers are now asked to contact the seller in advance via email outside of the Amazon contact option if they are interested in purchasing.
Instead of a seller name you can find e.g.
For example, here 'for purchases, contact me via ...@mailadresse.com',” says the LKA Lower Saxony.
“The alarm signal is always an advance payment being requested,” adds Götze.
Online shopping: Consumer advice centers warn of fake shops and payment traps
But it's not just fake shops that pose a danger. The seemingly convenient “Buy now, pay later” payment option from Paypal, Klarna and Co. also poses risks, warn consumer advocates.
Because behind the tempting option of paying later is often an ordinary bank loan from a third party.
“And the purchase becomes a triangular relationship, which makes everything more complicated: complaints, returns, refunds,” warns Götze.
In addition, the risk of getting into debt increases, as you can easily lose track of various loans and payment deadlines.
Götze therefore advises giving preference to other payment methods.
In addition to fake shops and payment traps, fraudsters also use online shopping for their scams.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
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