Online shopping

Scams are targeted towards vulnerable individuals or people in financial difficulties with the aim of obtaining confidential information. Potential scammers usually try to build a relationship of trust, making the individual believe in seemingly advantageous offers.

Short timeframes imposed by the scammer during which you can claim a prize against a fairly nominal fee will lead you to make the wrong decision. Usually the demand for money will not stop and scammers will ask you to cover a list of hypothetical expenses and taxes.

It is important to notify your bank immediately if you've disclosed any bank or credit card details or other confidential information via e-mail. Also stop sending money. It must be noted that if you have already sent money it is extremely difficult to have it refunded.

Foreign lottery scams

You are contacted and informed that you have won a prize. However, you must call a premium rate number or pay an administration fee to collect your prize. You are urged to pay within a short period of time, and may be asked to provide personal account details for the cash prize to be transferred. Be aware of existing foreign lottery names, as usually fraudulent lotteries will bear the names of existing ones.

Letters

These are e-mail scams originating from someone purporting to be either a high government official or an accountant of a dead or deposed politician who urgently needs to transfer a huge amount of money out of the country. They will offer you a share of this fortune if you will allow them to use your bank account to make the transfer.

You will start receiving e-mails containing false documents to prove that the money exists and that a transfer into your account has been made. However the account details you provide will be used to empty your bank account.

Cheque overpayment scams

This could be the payment for an online advertisement or auction posting, where the buyer asks you to pay with a cheque and writes it for an amount higher than the purchase price, and asks you to transfer the difference as soon as you make the deposit. Never accept a cheque for more than the selling price. The cheque could be counterfeit and when it bounces you will be liable for the whole amount.

This is the fifth in a series of articles by the European Consumer Centre.