As Black Friday approaches, you may be starting to think about all the amazing gadgets you can pick up at bargain prices. But be wary.
As we enter the busiest period of the year for shopping, criminals will be keeping busy too.
At this time, we’re here to remind you about one of the most common forms of cybercrime, and how you can stay protected.
Purchase scams
Purchase scams are when fake or non-existent items are advertised for sale.
These goods often appear on auction sites or social media, with images (and even reviews) taken from genuine sellers to convince you that they’re the real deal.
Criminals also use cloned websites, with small changes to the URL, to trick you into thinking that you’re buying from a genuine retailer.
How to spot them?
🚩 If you see products and services heavily discounted from their retail price, then be on guard!
🚩 If you’re asked to pay by bank transfer instead of an online payment or card transaction, that’s also a red flag.
🚩 Scammers will often counterfeit receipts and invoices. Always read these carefully and look for tell-tale signs of forgery. These include spelling errors, poor grammar, and unusual contact details — such as the seller’s address and email.
How to act?
If something sounds too good to be true, then that may well be the case.
We recommend using a secure payment method, and to avoid paying via bank transfer. Also, make sure you read online reviews to check that websites and sellers are genuine.
Disposable Cards
Using Revolut’s Disposable Virtual Cards is one way to make safer and more secure payments online.
Each time you make an online payment with a Virtual Card, they will automatically destroy the existing card details and generate new ones. These will then appear directly in the app, as a new disposable card.
These cards are designed to protect your card details from being cloned when paying online.
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