The internet is a global marketplace. You can buy almost anything you want and shop with just the click of a mouse.
However, this freedom also has its down side—you cannot be sure if the person you are dealing with is an honest trader or just someone who is out to steal your money or your identity.
Scammers can pretend to be selling a product—often very cheaply—just so they can steal your credit card or bank account details. Similarly, they may take your money but send you a faulty or worthless product instead—or even nothing at all.
Most online auction sites put a lot of effort into spotting scammers, but cunning scammers can trick you into making a deal outside of an auction site.
Stay one step ahead of the scammers. Visit our SCAMwatch website to learn more about online shopping scams and dozens of other scams that target you or your small business. You can also find out more about how scams work, how to protect yourself, and report scams via SCAMwatch.
If you take the right precautions and know what to look out for, you can greatly reduce the chances of being scammed online.
Explore SCAMwatch for yourself, or follow these quick links to find the SCAMwatch page that you are looking for:
See also our popular publication for consumers, The little black book of scams. You can download The little black book of scams by clicking on the link in the 'Key Publications' box on this page or contact our Infocentre to request your free copy.
