Citizens to remain vigilant against Online cheaters: Experts

ISLAMABAD, Sep 29 (APP):Cybersecurity experts Sunday asked citizen to remain aware and vigilant against online cheaters as consumers could be the victims of fraud when buying any goods or services through social media platforms.

Talking to private news channel , Advocate Farrukh Ilyas Cheema said as online shopping trend on rise in whole world including Pakistan, many scammers are using the latest technology to set up fake retailer websites that look like genuine online retail stores.

If you’re scrolling through Facebook or Instagram right now, you’re probably seeing dozens of ads, but not all of them are safe to click on, he added.

According to Advocate Farrukh Ilyas, these Facebook and Inst gram pages attract people by posting sleek pictures of branded items and offer to sell them at reduced prices.

Some pages also sponsor these posts on Facebook. when people ordered the items as shown in the pictures and made the payment, they received a totally different item in their package via courier services, he said.

He advised social media users to report social media accounts if they think they are fake. Many online scampers are using fake accounts to extract money from people because we have a legal way to handle these fraud website owners.

He told that an online ad clicking work is totally illegal business and action in accordance with the law is being taken against those found involved in it.

He explained that the social media based store is very new and selling products at very low prices. The store may have limited information about delivery and other policies.

Many brand and fashion companies specialize in design and most spend good money on perfecting the design of their site. They’re always going to want to have the best imagery of their products and it’s going to be shiny and fancy,” he added.

He said residents should not hesitate to report suspicious accounts to avoid online fraud.

He said shoppers who find brand-name products offered online at sensationally low prices should proceed with caution.

Rizwan Sharif a cyber expert said, the internet makes many everyday tasks faster and more convenient, like shopping and food delivery, but it’s important to be safe and responsible online.

Scammers use the internet to try to trick you into sending them money or your personal information, he highlighted.

E-commerce crime is nothing new, but it has increased greatly, adding, the fraudsters running these shops were attempting to steal money from internet users or gain access to their credit card information.

Internet users who visit fraudulent websites are exposed to several risks: they provide their credit card information along with email and postal addresses to criminal organizations.

Another cyber expert, Rafay Baloch said , Scam artists defraud millions of people each year by using internet services or software. These scams trick victims into sending money or giving out personal information. That’s why it’s important to protect yourself, or report internet fraud if you have been victimized.

The citizens should not invest their money in such illegal businesses. They should remain vigilant to avoid becoming fraud victims, he advised.