Photo: CNBC
Have you ever gotten scammed before? Not just IRL, but also online.
The number of scams and online fraud have been increasing, especially with the crazy year-end sales happening - a time when people are looking high and low for the best deals. Shopee’s 9.9, 10.10, 11.11 and 12.12 sales lagilah, people get even crazier during these times!
Some common modus operandi scammers make use of are by asking buyers to make transactions outside of the platform, so as to leave no trace of the deal! Often, victims will be left in the dark without their product after payment has been made, and the scammers get away scot-free because, well, there is simply no trace.
Another method used is having buyers reveal their one-time password (OTP). The scammers then use the password to hijack the buyer’s account and pretend to complete a transaction. They make it seem like payment has been made, but in actuality, the purchase order was not made at all.
Shopee has reminded users to never entertain callers who say they are from a bank/police, people who say that you have been summoned to a court proceeding, callers who claim you were involved in fraudulent activities, and those who ask for your mobile number and OTP. Basically, pandai-pandai okay!
Thankfully, Shopee has a way of protecting their customers. The Shopee Guarantee Policy ensures payment to sellers are withheld until buyers confirm that the received order is correct and in good condition. The OTP authentication feature also serves as an extra protection so you can shop with peace of mind (but spend wisely!). Those who use online banking or credit/debit cards will have to complete the transaction via transaction via a 3D Secure payment gateway, a protocol which requires an OTP and a prompt from the bank, which really adds on to the security measures.
Also keep in mind that on Shopee, OTPs will be generated and sent to the user’s registered phone number via SMS to authenticate the following:
1) Login on a new device
2) Account password reset
3) Adding a new bank account
4) Shopee Pay pin reset
Photo: Make Tech Easier
Be smart and alert - do not disclose personal details like OTPs, account username and passwords to anyone over the phone, email or texts, and don’t respond to OTP requests if you did not initiate or authorise suspicious transactions!
Shop safe and you’ll be a happy customer (can’t say the same for your wallet though).
By: Celestine Foo
