Pretoria - Unless you regard the internet as being home to a bunch of fraudsters and scoundrels, who spend their days concocting elaborate scams to get you to part with your money, sooner or later you’re sure to be scammed.
Sorry to be so cynical, but I regularly interact with people who fell victim to these scams because they were too trusting, and didn’t question what they were told.
Yes, there are legitimate online retail sites that conduct business with integrity and will send you what you paid them for, but if you stray from well-known names into free classifieds and websites of companies you haven’t heard of, you’re in dangerous territory.
To make matters worse, some of the company names used by the scam artists mirror those of legitimate companies.
Details vary, but generally the story goes like this: consumer responds to an advert for a camera or tablet at an extremely good price.
The “company” sends a legitimate looking invoice and requests electronic payment.
Either the goods aren’t sent at all, or the customer gets an e-mail from a “courier company”, requesting more funds for various reasons, failing which the item won’t be delivered.
Linda Govender of Durban responded to an online advert for a Samsung tablet for R3 500, placed by an entity calling itself Popular Electronics.
She paid by electronic funds transfer (EFT).
Then came the e-mail from the courier company, “Genesis Services”, demanding another R2 050, spinning a story that there were other articles in her delivery that had to be paid for.
If she didn’t pay, she was told, her package would be held up in Pietermaritzburg and after a week it would be returned to Cape Town, then would be returned to her sender.
When she protested, she was told: “Please speak to your sender or contact the police.”
The Stott family of Warner Beach, KwaZulu-Natal, were scammed with a camera purchase from “Digital Den”, which had sent them an e-mail advertising camera “specials”.
The package was for a Canon D700 with two lenses for R6 300, which included a R200 courier fee.
Sarah Stott paid via EFT, having been told she could not pay by credit card.
Clearly the fraudsters are wise to the fact that consumers who pay for goods or services with their credit cards can apply to their banks for a refund – known as chargeback – if they don’t get what they paid for.
Stott realises now that the “company’s” gmail address should have been a red flag.
“They supplied a physical address and landline number in Witbank, but I didn’t check to see that it was authentic,” she says.
“I know we will never get any goods or our money back, but we want to warn people about the scam.”
It was someone claiming to be “Gadget Warehouse” who scammed a Rivonia, Joburg man.
He has asked not to be named out of embarrassment.
That company name generated the best-priced deal when he did an internet search for a Canon camera package.
He did do some checks before making payment.
“I found several glowing reviews about the company on consumer website hellopeter.com and only one negative post at the time.”
Scam artists often post fake positive comments online.
He was sent an invoice, with an East London address attached to the company name, and went ahead and paid R8 690.
Then followed several days of the company claiming to have sent the camera from London, and expressing surprise that he hadn’t got it.
Next they claimed the tracking number was invalid.
He got neither his camera nor his money back.
Many other complaints about “Gadget Warehouse” have since been posted on hellopeter.com.
Dave Chambers of Cape Town got caught by “Camera House”, which advertises what he calls “remarkably low prices” on its website.
“My son found a seemingly great deal for a Nikon 650D on the site – R5 595 plus R200 for delivery.
“I ordered it and should have been suspicious when instead of offering a credit card payment channel, I was contacted by e-mail, and advised to pay the money into a bank account, which I did by EFT.
“I received a rapid reply saying my camera would be shipped within 24 to 48 hours.”
Next came an e-mail from a “courier service” saying the camera was being sent from the UK, followed by one saying “customs” was holding his package at OR Tambo airport, pending his payment of R3 050 in handling charges, taxes and clearance.
Having “finally woken up”, Chambers says, he refused, asking that they supply the camera as originally agreed.
“Since then, I have been given a thorough runaround by ‘Harry’ and anyone else who picks up one of Camera House’s phones.
“The standard technique is to say they’ll call you back, then put the phone down.
“Hellopeter indicates that I’m not the only person to have been scammed, but I think it may be worth warning readers who are as gullible as me.” - Pretoria News
How to deal with online fraud:
l If the price of an electronic item seems too good to be true, it is.
l Check out all contact details – accept nothing at face value.
l If you cannot pay by credit card, don’t do the deal. Your only chance of a refund if you’re scammed is via chargeback, which you apply for at the bank that issued your credit card.
l If the deal sounds too good to be true, it’s a scam.