The UAE government has issued a warning to residents about phoney shopping websites and internet frauds
On Tuesday, Abu Dhabi's judicial administration published an alert warning people of internet shopping frauds.
Despite repeated warnings, tales of people falling prey to internet fraud continue to emerge. Some racketeers have also devised new methods of duping and hacking into residents' bank accounts. Just last month, an expat paid roughly Dh5,000 for 'burgers, fries, and drinks' after receiving an internet promotion that turned out to be a fake and led him to a phoney website that appeared identical to the legitimate one.
The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) uploaded a video on Instagram showing the risks of purchasing products from untrustworthy websites that are commonly offered on social media platforms.
According to the authority, these bogus websites typically sell things at extremely low costs in order to entice naïve shoppers.
Customers would pay via bank transfers or credit cards. Once the trap is set, the transaction is completed, and the money is transferred, the con artists vanish, leaving buyers in the lurch.
According to the ADJD, in addition to being hacked, those who shop from unscrupulous websites risk receiving counterfeit items. Worse, some people will not receive anything at all.
Here are some steps residents may take to protect their accounts and avoid being victims of online shopping scams:
- Don't blindly believe a website just because it's promoted on social media.
- Before making a purchase, carefully examine each platform.
- Examine the ratings and comments on the website.
- Purchase from well-known and reputable e-commerce sites with a track record of secure transactions.
- Read and comprehend the policies governing disputes, complaints, refunds, and contact information.