Still waiting for something you purchased online? Or does the product you received not match what you ordered? Then you may have fallen for a scam.Scams are increasingly sophisticated and we all make mistakes. An online shopping scam is when you make a purchase online unknowingly from a fake website or a fake ad on a genu-ine site. The product may not really exist, may be counterfeit or may be of inferior quality.Have you been scammed?
These tips come from the Think Before You Click - #ThinkB4UClick awareness campaign during European Cyber Security Month in October 2021 across the European Union, organised by the European Cyber Security Agency (ENISA), the European Commission and Member States, including the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
What to do?
1. Try to contact the retailer, there may be a genuine reason for the problem.
2. Contact your financial institution immediately if:
- your bank account has been compromised
- you notice unusual activity on your credit card account
- you do not receive a response or you are not satisfied with the response from the retailerYou may be able to prevent further theft.
3. Change your passwords.
The scammer may have your password so change it to a strong password with at least 15 characters including upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
A passphrase may be easier to remember. This could be a sentence that includes unusual words, or words from different languages. You should also change login details for any of your other accounts that use the same or similar username and password.
Use a unique password for each account.
4. Update your antivirus software in order to fight new viruses and protect your device.
5. Report the fraud.
Your information may help catch the fraudster and prevent further incidents.
To find out where to get advice and to report the crime in your country, visit https://cybersecuritymonth.eu/cyber-first-aid
6. Make sure to keep any evidence you have of the theft, e.g. emails, invoices, receipts, copy of the advertisement, etc.
7. Share your experience with family and friends to help protect them.
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Have You Been Scammed?
Infographic by the European Cyber Security Agency (ENISA)
Download (580.37kB)