The cold weather is back, and with energy prices rising, many of you are turning to firewood and pellets. However, this trend has also attracted the attention of online scammers, who create fake websites to trick consumers. Here's how to recognise these malicious sites and what to do if you've fallen victim to a scam.
Scammers will try to attract your attention via tempting offers on social networks or directly on a fraudulent website. Often the contact details of an existing company are used to gain your trust.
But once payment has been made, your order is not delivered. You never hear from them again, or the scammers claim a delivery problem in order to buy time before you react and file a complaint.
Check the identity of the seller
- Make sure that the site gives detailed and verifiable contact details, such as a physical address, e-mail address, landline telephone number and company number.
- The contact details of a genuine seller may have been usurped. If in doubt, check the company name using a search engine.
Analyse the site URL
- A reliable site always begins with ‘https’ and not ‘http’. The extra ‘s’ means that your data is secure. If this is not the case, it's best to avoid entering your personal or payment information.
- Also beware of subtle changes in the URL.
Beware of prices that are too attractive
Prices that are much lower than those of competitors should arouse your suspicions. Fraudsters often lure customers with unrealistic prices and temporary offers to encourage quick purchases.
Look for reviews and testimonials
Consult forums and independent review sites to check the seller's reputation. Beware of reviews on the seller's website, as they may be falsified.
Evaluate the site's presentation
A professional website generally has a clean design, clear product descriptions and good quality photos. Frequent spelling mistakes, blurred content or generic images can be signs of fraud.
- Contact your bank: If you have paid by transfer or debit card, contact your bank immediately. Explain the situation and ask for the transaction to be blocked. The faster you react, the greater the chance that the bank will be able to recover the money from the fraudster's bank. In any case, the bank will do everything it can to ensure that you get your money back, or at least part of it.
- Call your credit card company: If you have used a credit card, you have extra protection. Many credit card organisations (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) offer refund guarantees in the event of fraud. You can visit the macarte.be website to open a purchase dispute file and request a refund.
- Keep an eye on your bank statements and if you notice any suspicious transactions, call Card Stop immediately on 078/170 170 to block your card.
- File a complaint: If you have been scammed, it is important to lodge a complaint with the local police. This will not only help in investigations against fraudulent sites, but will also increase your chances of recovering your money through legal proceedings.
- Report the fraudulent site: send the URL of the fraudulent website to suspicious@safeonweb.be. This will prevent other people from falling into the trap. Internet users will then receive a warning message when they want to visit this site.
- Report the offence on the ConsumerConnect site.
