The scam goes through many stages
With scams on online shopping applications, the victims are often buyers, tricked into buying fake, poor quality or even not receiving the goods after transferring money. But recently, a new scam has appeared. Accordingly, Phu Tho Provincial Police have just arrested a group specializing in scamming and appropriating promotional money from the Shopee e-commerce platform.
Hundreds of boxes were evidence of fraud. Many boxes clearly stated that the goods were expensive phones, but inside were just water bottles. A group of four scammers was recently arrested. The suspects confessed that they and their accomplices had set up fake stores on the online shopping app Shopee to steal money from the e-commerce platform through discount and promotional codes.
Subject Luu Thanh Luan (Ban Xeo commune, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province) confessed: "I and other members of the group created virtual booths to sell more than 600 products such as cameras and masks. The amount of money embezzled was about 500 million VND and was divided among the group members for personal expenses."
The police agency determined that the subjects had set up a scam through many stages: Setting up a virtual booth - Recruiting people to close virtual purchase orders - Searching for discount codes - Applying discount codes, requesting e-commerce platforms to place virtual purchase orders - Packing goods that do not match the description - Colluding to deliver virtual goods, to create fake documents to trick e-commerce platforms into transferring promotional money into the buyer's account.
Captain Le Thanh Vuong - Investigator of the Investigation Police Department of Phu Tho Province Police said: "The subjects have set up many groups and Fanpages to lure people who lack legal knowledge to participate in closing virtual orders for them. In addition, the subjects, acting as both sellers and buyers, staged scenes of buying and receiving goods to appropriate promotional money from e-commerce platforms."
Initial investigation results show that in just half a year of operation, using the above tricks, the group created virtual goods transactions worth tens of billions of VND to appropriate money from promotional vouchers sponsored by the Shopee e-commerce platform for online shoppers.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Chinh - Deputy Head of the Possession Team, Criminal Police Department of Phu Tho Provincial Police commented: "The problem here is that e-commerce platforms have not controlled the items advertised and sold on the booths opened on online shopping applications. Besides, there are no measures to check and monitor whether the items advertised for sale are actually delivered to customers or not. This is the loophole for subjects to take advantage of to successfully commit crimes".
It is also stated that any e-commerce platform can become a victim of the above trick. The consequence will be that the interests of consumers will be affected when the opportunity to buy promotional products is taken away.
Just a few days after arresting the above scam gang, the police also arrested a subject in Mo Lao ward, Ha Dong district, Hanoi. With the same trick of applying discount codes on virtual stores, this subject has appropriated hundreds of millions of VND from Shopee.
Safe online shopping measures
In order for buyers and sellers on e-commerce platforms to be able to avoid tricks of appropriating promotional money for purchases as well as other fraudulent tricks when conducting online shopping activities, the police agency has issued some notes.
Accordingly, on the part of e-commerce platforms, it is necessary to tighten the opening of booths on online shopping applications by: Adding the feature of authenticating the seller's identity using electronic technology devices. Requiring the seller to have full personal information, linking the bank account number with the information on the seller's CCCD.
Senior Lieutenant Tran Hai Dang - Deputy Head of Team 3, Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department, Phu Tho Provincial Police informed: "The police agency also requires e-commerce platforms to have measures to closely monitor the process of paying promotional money during discount promotions or promotional vouchers to stimulate consumption. In addition, it also requires sellers to have measures to prove the origin of the items being sold in booths on online shopping applications".
Every citizen must absolutely not participate in and follow the instructions from the groups that are appearing everywhere on the internet. Because this is essentially a variation of the scam of recruiting collaborators and closing fake orders that has been warned many times.
"When participating in these groups, people not only face the risk of being scammed and losing money, but can also unintentionally assist criminals in fraud. Therefore, people should absolutely not be fooled by the cheap fees that these subjects pay for each virtual order closing, as they may be severely punished according to the law," Senior Lieutenant Tran Hai Dang - Deputy Head of Team 3, Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department, Phu Tho Provincial Police advised.
People also need to remember not to share or publicize personal information on social networks to avoid being taken advantage of by bad guys. When shopping online, you need to carefully read the store's reviews to see what previous buyers have said. You can also compare similar products on other online shopping apps before deciding to buy. Do not buy promotional products because they are cheap if you do not know much about the product.
People also need to carefully check the product information they have ordered to see if it matches the order code information on the e-commerce platform application before receiving the goods and paying.
Ms. Vu Thanh Quynh - Communications Director of Shopee Vietnam said: "Shopee has also coordinated with Vcom E-commerce Association to implement a safe shopping initiative to help consumers overcome the obstacles of anxiety when shopping online. At the same time, Shopee also implemented a joint online shopping program. This is a program that helps consumers check the goods when they import and buy them, helping them feel more secure."
When detecting fraudulent behavior, people need to immediately contact the consulting and consumer support hotlines of e-commerce sites or send a complaint to the Department of Competition and Consumer Protection of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
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