During the month of Ramadan or before Eid, the need suddenly increases. However, in the current digital era, shopping has become more practical because it can be done online.
Besides being practical because they can shop via smartphones, now people can also take advantage of various payment methods, ranging from bank transfers, COD, to online credit installments.
However, behind all the practicality given when shopping online, there are some things you need to pay attention to. Because, the modes of fraud are now more and more developed and varied. In fact, this mode of fraud can also be experienced even when shopping through e-commerce.
So, so that you don't become a victim of fraud when shopping online, the following tips can be used as a guide when shopping.
1. Don't be tempted by cheap prices
Indeed, cheap goods are often tempting. However, don't be fooled by cheap prices. In fact, you should be suspicious if the item has a much cheaper price than the market price. The reason is, if it is too cheap, it could be a fraud mode.
For example, there is a seller who offers the iPhone 13 . In this case, you have to think long, and you should not immediately buy the item. It could be that the iPhone is a black market product, or a fake iPhone. These are the modes that must be anticipated. When you see the price of new goods at very cheap prices, it is better not to be easy to believe, and look to a more trusted store.
2. Always Read Reviews from Buyers
When shopping on e-commerce, you will certainly find various reviews from buyers. Well, these reviews can be used as a reference, whether the item is as expected or not. Not only goods, you can also see the services provided by the seller through the reviews provided. So, don't take customer reviews for granted. Because, buyers usually provide honest reviews that can be used as a parameter to assess a store or product from previous buyers.
3. Always Keep Proof of Transaction
If shopping through a brand's website, e-commerce, or even online shopping directly to the seller's WhatsApp, be sure to save proof of the transaction. Because, even if you shop at e-commerce, there is still the possibility of a bug that causes you to have paid, but has not been updated on the purchase page.
Especially if you shop online directly to the seller's WhatsApp or Instagram. If something like online fraud happens then the proof of transfer can be concrete evidence to report online fraud from the fictitious store.
4. Check Seller Identity
Checking the identity of the seller is also an important thing to do before shopping. Whenever shopping online, always check the website and contact details to verify if the seller's account really exists and is trusted.
If you shop through social media, try to check comments or photo tags on the store's profile. If someone has tagged the account using the items for sale, you can see their reviews.
In addition, also check the comments column, whether there are complaints or not. If the comment column is removed, you should be suspicious. This is because this can be one of the ways for fraudsters to hide their modus operandi on their social media profiles.
5. Pay Attention to Payment Methods
If you shop on e-commerce, avoid paying direct transfers to the seller's bank account for any reason. The reason is, if there is a fraud, this cannot be saved. In fact, the reporting is quite complicated. It's better, you check first and consider carefully than having to bother taking care of it when the money has disappeared and drifted.
To be more secure, you can transact directly through the payment methods available in e-commerce. Especially now that e-commerce already has an online credit installment payment method.
In addition, you can make online credit installments with longer tenors, namely 6 months and 12 months, with very light interest, only 2.6% per month.
