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But what do you recognise fake shops from?
In the first nine months of this year, the Dutch spent an average of €243 million per week online. In the five weeks before Sinterklaas, online weekly sales rose to €340 million, reports thuiswinkel.org. The holiday season, and the sell-outs that follow, are upon us again. But what should you actually pay attention to if you want to shop and checkout safely online? Avoid shopping at fake shops.
Internet scams on the rise
It didn't escape anyone's notice last month. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Sinterklaas held our inboxes and advertising folders hostage. In a hurry and out of fear of missing out on great deals, we sometimes fill our digital shopping basket and checkout as quickly as possible. Sometimes, we forget to check whether the webshop we want to checkout really exists.
Two years ago, the police rounded up 35 online fake shops, Last year there were 438, according to figures from the police's National Internet Scam Reporting Point (LMIO). In short, it can't hurt to check whether the online shop you buy from is actually delivering.
What do you recognise fake shops by?
In December, the number of fake shops online is increasing dramatically, reports the Consumers' Association. However, the shops look very professional. But what do you recognise fake shops from and how can you pay safely online?
❯ Check whether the quality mark is genuine by checking the shop at thuiswinkel.org or Stichting Webshop Keurmerk. The Netherlands is teeming with labels and it is not always easy to recognise their authenticity.
❯ If you doubt the price (of electronics in particular) because it is very low, there is usually something wrong. If it's too good to be true, it often is. Look online for reviews and experiences of others with a particular online shop.
❯ Check the contact details and, if necessary, look up the company on kvk.nl.
❯ The Consumers' Association has a very long list of unreliable webshops.
❯ Never transfer money in advance.
❯ Be careful about leaving credit card details, for example, never send them by email.
❯ Use a complex password to create an account or buy online without an account. If you already have an account with a particular webshop, update your password and make sure it consists of a combination of numbers, symbols, letters and capital letters.
❯ If your browser asks you to save your login details or password, refuse. This prevents others, who have access to your computer or browser, from shopping with your login.
❯ Handle your bank details securely. When making online payments, always look out for a green and closed padlock in the address field of your browser window. This means that the website is encrypted.
❯ Watch your statements regularly to check for suspicious transactions.
