We're being advised to watch out for potential scams whenever we're doing any online shopping.
(Source: www.pixabay.com)Irish consumers lost €22,000,000 in online shopping fraud last year.
It occurs when the buyer either does not receive the goods they want after paying for them, receives fake or counterfeit goods, or gets items that are not as described.
Gardaí say up to 10,000,000 online transactions were carried out over the Christmas shopping period.
Detective Inspector Mel Smyth has recommended that people should not buy items that they have found through social media:
"The most important product for a fraudster is data, and that data is your name, your address, your date of birth, your credit card number and your PIN.
"And once they get that data and get into your credit card or your bank account, they will very, very quickly use that card to make purchases online."
Online Shopping fraud is where the buyer doesn’t receive the goods after making payments, receives fake/counterfeit or not as described goods
This has become more prevalent during the Covid 19 pandemic as more people are shopping online
Detective Inspector Mel Smyth explains pic.twitter.com/Nd9AKtjUxm
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) March 11, 2021
Invoice fraud
Meanwhile there has also been a warning released this week that the level of invoice fraud has risen since more people are working from home.
More than €10,000,000 was stolen through invoice redirect and email compromise fraud last year.
Gardaí have highlighted how online security may not be as strong for some businesses that have staff working remotely.
