A widely disseminated social media post had alerted her to the “end-of-season discount sale.” The woman, who requested that her name be withheld, said she reckoned that she had snagged a rewarding deal.
She logged into the brand’s online store, registered her e-mail and address, and entered her credit card information to pay ₹6,000 for the discounted item. However, the homemaker became suspicious when she received no confirmation e-mail even after a week.
Cancellation of card
She belatedly realised that she was among the many shoppers lured in by phoney sites peddling branded merchandise, mostly lifestyle goods. She notified the bank of the suspicious transaction, which led to the cancellation of her credit card to prevent further fraudulent use.
Director General of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Manoj Abraham, who is also the nodal officer of Cyberdome, the Kerala Police’s state-of-the-art cybersecurity centre, told The Hindu that fake online stores advertising branded merchandise at improbably low prices, offering 70% 90% discounts, are the latest in a series of online scams exploiting the budget-conscious purchasing behaviour of urban consumers in the State.
