Lost money because of "fake shops"

“Lesson” in buying pets online

Taking advantage of people's need to buy hybrid cats and pet dogs, many scammers set up fake pet selling accounts on social networks. Pet images are edited or created with AI to increase credibility and attract viewers. If not checked carefully, victims can place orders and transfer money to "ghost shops" but not receive the goods.

Ms. TS, residing in Son Tien hamlet, My Thuan commune, indignantly said that about 2 months ago, her nephew asked for money to buy a black British shorthair cat online for 2 million VND. The cat seller gave detailed advice on care, food, and hair trimming, so she and her family trusted him. “The account owner sent many photos of the cat to my nephew. In the photos, the cat is beautiful, has smooth fur, and is plump, so he really likes it. This account also promised to give away 3kg of food grains and pate, along with the cat's vaccination book, health check-up book, and detailed care instructions. After I agreed to buy and transfer the money, the person promised to deliver the cat by bus 1 week later. After more than 1 week without seeing the cat, when I called the seller, I received a message saying "the phone number cannot be contacted", the same with the account used to contact the cat buyer, only then did I realize I had been scammed,” Ms. TS said.

Many victims have been scammed when joining groups buying and selling pets on social networks. Photo: TUONG VI

Similarly, Mr. PH, residing in Son Kien commune, also lost money buying a Phu Quoc dog online. “I was bored at home alone, so I wanted to raise a small dog. I joined a group selling Phu Quoc dogs on Facebook and saw an account posting pictures of healthy, smart puppies. The seller promised that the dog was of standard breed. I transferred more than 3 million VND to buy it. The seller promised to deliver the dog within 3 days. I waited for a whole week but no one delivered it. I called but no one answered, and I texted but no one replied. I went to the group to look for the contact information of the dog seller's account but it was gone,” said Mr. H.

“Cancel the order on the app and have it delivered outside for faster delivery...”

That was the sentence that the bad guy used to scam nearly 300,000 VND from Ms. DTKP, residing in Hon Dat commune. According to Ms. P, she ordered a pair of high-waisted trousers from a store on a famous e-commerce site. As soon as she placed the order, a strange number called her, introducing herself as Trang, the owner of the shop where Ms. P had just ordered the shirt. “Trang said that the orders for Tet were overloaded, so my order would be delivered in about 3 weeks. I did not agree because I needed the pants to wear for taking photos. Trang said that if I ordered through the app, I would have to wait for the shipping unit to arrange it. If I wanted it quickly, I could cancel the order. Trang would call the delivery staff and I would receive it in about 2 days,” Ms. P said. About a day later, Ms. P received a call from the delivery person, constantly urging her to transfer 250,000 VND to pay for the trousers (including the express shipping fee) so she could deliver another order, without delay. Because she was busy at work, Ms. P transferred the money and asked this person to throw the package into the yard.

When she got home from work and couldn't find the package, Ms. P checked the camera but didn't see anyone delivering the package. She contacted the store's phone number again but received a message saying "phone number doesn't exist". Checking the order again, Ms. P realized she was careless: The store's information was vague, the number of product sales was only 5, not as many as the scammer said.

The situation of online buying and selling fraud, especially items such as pets, electronics and gifts, is on the rise as Tet approaches. The Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention, Ministry of Public Security, recommends that people do not transact with accounts that require deposit transfers or lack clear information; need to track the order journey through the official applications of e-commerce platforms to update the delivery status, and carefully check the origin of the seller before deciding to buy to avoid losses.

WALL VI

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/mat-tien-vi-shop-ao--a469736.html