Police give tips: this is how you can really trade safely on the internet

Do you want to buy or sell things online? Then make sure you don’t get scammed. With these tips from the police you can trade safely on the internet!

Police give tips: this is how you can really trade safely on the internet

Selling your old iPhone or purchasing a second-hand Apple Watch online: on websites such as Marktplaats you often get more for your old devices than with Apple. There are also much better bargains to be found.

However, there are often some risks associated with buying and selling online. After all, you have to be careful not to be scammed. Don’t worry, because the police have created a handy list of tips so that you can act really safely on the internet. Just read them!

• Before you buy something, check whether anything (negative) is known about the account number, email address or other information. Use the Check the (seller) buyer’s website to check it;
• Check if the price is realistic. If it is too good to be true, then it usually is;
• On websites like Marktplaats you can often see how long a user has been active. Also check the reviews if they are available;
• Never send the buyer or seller a copy of your ID. Not even where some parts have been made unrecognizable. There are many known cases of this ID being misused in other forms of fraud;
• Know who you are doing business with, and contact websites such as Marktplaats personally in advance;
• Check whether an online store is registered (and for how long) with the Chamber of Commerce;
• Do your own research via Google into the person or online store you are doing business with;

• Check the URL and whether it is written correctly;
• If you see a quality mark on the website, check whether the website is actually allowed to use the quality mark. You can find this on the website of the relevant quality mark;
• Check how long the website has been active via the website who.is;
• Be careful when transferring in advance to people you don’t know;
• IDEAL is safe to pay, but does not guarantee delivery;
• Beware of deception when paying with IDEAL. Is the payment canceled due to a ‘malfunction’ and do you then have to pay by credit card or bank transfer? Then it is probably a scam;
• Do not click on links in emails with payment instructions;
• It is better not to transfer money to a foreign bank account;
• Paying with a credit card gives you some security. If a product is not delivered, the credit card company will claim payment from the website and reimburse you;
• Do you buy via Marktplaats? Then enable buyer protection. Other websites with second-hand goods often have a similar function;
• Check for tickets and entrance tickets www.weetwaarjekoopt.nl to ensure that your ticket is valid;
• Use payment methods such as pay later, Afterpay and Klarna if these are offered. This gives you the option to only pay once you have received your order.

If you keep most of these rules in mind, the chance of you being scammed will be much smaller. Nevertheless, it remains important to use your common sense. Does something seem too good to be true? Then that is probably the case.