Online shopping scams

Question 1 Report

You receive an email saying, 'Your shopping account has been suspended. Verify your password immediately,' with a login button. What is the safest action?

Avoid relying on the route provided by an unexpected security message.

Reply to the email with your password Open the retailer's official app or manually access its verified website and check your account there Forward your login details to customer support Use the button because account suspension is urgent

Question 2 Report

A marketplace listing advertises a new laptop, but the seller says the listed price is only a 'booking amount' and demands a much larger payment privately after you contact them. What should you do?

Compare the advertised transaction with what the seller is now asking you to do.

Avoid the private payment and report the misleading listing to the marketplace Negotiate a smaller private payment Pay because you already contacted the seller Send your bank statement to prove you can pay

Question 3 Report

After buying from an unfamiliar store, you notice several small card transactions you do not recognize. What should you do?

Unexpected financial activity should be handled quickly through trusted financial channels.

Contact your card issuer or bank immediately through an official channel and secure the affected payment method Wait a week to see whether more transactions appear Ignore small transactions because fraudsters only make large purchases Contact the unfamiliar store and send them your banking password

Question 4 Report

You find a new shopping website offering a ₹60,000 smartphone for ₹8,999 as a 'Today Only' deal. What should you do before buying?

Consider whether the price and urgency are designed to stop you from checking the seller.

Trust it if the website has a countdown timer Buy immediately before the offer expires Verify the website, seller reputation, contact information, policies, and independent reviews before paying Trust the store because it displays product photos

Question 5 Report

A marketplace seller asks you to continue the conversation on WhatsApp and pay them directly because they can offer a lower price. What is the safest response?

Think about what protections you could lose by leaving the marketplace.

Keep communication and payment within the trusted marketplace Send half the payment first Pay directly because the price is lower Send your card details through WhatsApp

Question 6 Report

An online seller says, 'Only one item is left. Transfer the money in the next five minutes or I'll sell it to someone else.' What is the main warning sign?

Think about how scammers influence people to make decisions without verification.

The item is popular The seller accepts online payments The seller replied quickly The seller is creating artificial urgency to pressure you into paying

Question 7 Report

A website says you have won a ₹20,000 shopping voucher but must first pay a ₹499 'processing fee' to claim it. What should you do?

Unexpected rewards that require money upfront deserve extra scrutiny.

Pay using another person's account Share your OTP instead of paying the fee Treat the unexpected prize and advance-fee request as suspicious and verify it independently Pay because the reward is worth much more than the fee

Question 8 Report

A seller offers a substantial discount if you pay using cryptocurrency instead of the marketplace checkout. Why should you be cautious?

Consider what happens to marketplace protections when payment is moved elsewhere.

Marketplace checkout is only useful for delivery tracking Cryptocurrency automatically makes every seller fraudulent The request moves the transaction outside the marketplace and may remove important buyer protections The discount proves the seller has too much stock

Question 9 Report

A seller claims an expensive branded handbag is genuine but refuses to provide meaningful product information and says, 'Don't ask questions at this price.' What should you do?

A large discount does not remove the need to verify what you are actually purchasing.

Assume the product is genuine because the seller says so Pay first and investigate after delivery Treat the lack of verifiable information as a warning sign and avoid the purchase if authenticity cannot be established Buy because the low price compensates for the uncertainty

Question 10 Report

A seller sends you a screenshot claiming your payment failed and asks you to pay again. Your banking app shows the first payment succeeded. What should you do?

Decide which source provides stronger evidence of your actual transaction.

Send the payment to a different account Verify the transaction through your bank and the marketplace before making any additional payment Pay again because the seller sent proof Share your banking password so the seller can check

Question 11 Report

You receive a call from someone claiming to be a delivery agent who asks for an OTP that just arrived on your phone. What should you do?

Read the OTP message itself and consider what action the code may authorize.

Share the OTP if the caller knows your name Do not share the OTP and verify the delivery through the official shopping or courier service Read the OTP aloud because delivery agents need verification Share it if the parcel is cash on delivery

Question 12 Report

A shopping website uses HTTPS and displays a padlock in your browser. Does that alone prove the store is legitimate?

Distinguish encrypted communication from the trustworthiness of the business receiving the information.

Yes, if the store also displays a logo No, HTTPS protects the connection but the seller must still be verified Yes, but only for shopping websites Yes, HTTPS guarantees the business is genuine

Question 13 Report

A seller asks for your OTP to 'confirm your identity' before dispatching an online order. What should you do?

Authentication codes can authorize sensitive account or payment actions.

Do not share the OTP and verify the request through the platform's official support Share it because the order has already been placed Share only the first half of the OTP Post the OTP in the marketplace chat

Question 14 Report

You see an Instagram advertisement for a branded watch at a 90% discount from an unfamiliar store. Does the presence of the advertisement prove the seller is genuine?

Consider the difference between seeing an advertisement and independently verifying a merchant.

Yes, if the advertisement has many likes Yes, because social-media advertisements are always verified No, the store and offer should still be independently verified Yes, if the advertisement uses the brand's logo

Question 15 Report

An online seller provides a tracking number, but the courier's official tracking service says the number does not exist. The seller keeps asking you to wait. What should you do?

Use independently verifiable delivery information rather than relying only on the seller's claims.

Verify the order through the marketplace and courier and use the platform's dispute process if appropriate Send the seller additional money for new tracking Give the seller your banking password to request a refund Assume the tracking number will eventually become valid