Police provide advice: this is how you can prevent internet scams

Do you regularly buy something on the internet? Then don’t let yourself be fooled! To prevent internet scams, the police have the following tips for you.

Police provide advice: this is how you can prevent internet scams

Just order the latest iPhone, or buy a pair of new shoes: buying online has made shopping very easy. Criminals also know this and are now increasingly trying to steal your money.

Internet scams are still all too common. And the bad thing is: when you are scammed on the internet, the chance that the perpetrator will be known is very small. In approximately 1 percent of cases, a suspect is identified. This is evident from figures from RTL Nieuws, which are based on figures from CBS and the police.

This is partly because only a quarter of victims report the crime. People are often ashamed of it or do not think the amount is worth reporting. And if a report is filed, the case remains unsolved.

That’s why it’s important to make sure you don’t get scammed. Fortunately, the police also help you prevent internet scams.

Check the seller

Before you buy something, it is wise to first check whether there have been any negative experiences with the seller. The police have one for that website where you can check whether the seller is aware of any form of internet scam. You can search there by, among other things, the IBAN number, e-mail addresses and the URL of an online store.

Always keep an eye out. It may be that there are no known reports about a particular party, but it is still a scammer. It is therefore no guarantee that the seller is a reliable party.

Please note: if you enter a foreign IBAN number, you will always see a warning. Payments abroad always involve more risk. And the police also want to warn about this.

More tips for trading safely on the internet

In addition to the website to prevent internet scams, the police also provide others tips for trading safely on the internet. But the most important thing remains: use your common sense. When something is too good to be true, it usually is.