Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but gift-purchasing happens year-round. As a result, this experience of a Netto Invest contact who got scammed buying a gift for her husband could easily happen to any of us.

Here is the case study story, straight from the horse’s mouth:

“I had been racking my brain about what to get my husband for his birthday and as I was lying in bed browsing Facebook, a sponsored advert appeared offering a top-end cooler box at a very good price.
It caught my eye because this was over the festive season (with all its extra demands on the budget), so the discount they were offering was very welcome.
I clicked through and the website looked 100% legitimate. The logos, the fonts in use, the cooler box photos, right through to how they generate order numbers, it all seemed solid.
I even scrutinised the email contact details carefully and felt reassured by the apparently South African domain hosting (though I found out later that the legitimate business uses a .com domain 🤷🏻 proof once again that there is a lot of attention to detail when it comes to what sneaky scammers will do to convince you that all is above board).

• 👉🏼 I placed the order, entered in my bank card details, and authorised the payment.
• 💰The amount was reserved off my credit card and I even received an invoice via email, so I did not suspect a thing.
• 🤔 But after a few days, I began wondering why the item hadn’t been delivered

I contacted the legitimate company by phone, quoting the invoice number I had received – only to discover that I had been scammed.
The company informed me that they had become aware of fraudsters impersonating their brand and have even reported the advert scam to Facebook, but Facebook have taken no action.”

So, what sort of a scam is this?

This is plain fraud via impersonation.

How does it work, and why?
Scammers find a desirable, pricey product that is doing well, create a credible looking (but fraudulent) version of the real website, and target potential customers directly using Facebook or Google adverts that offer the goods at a juicy discount.

What do they want?
The primary goal is to steal your money by taking payment for goods that they will never deliver. The secondary goal is potentially wider-reaching – they get your personal bank details and can then use them in future to steal more of your money.

What do you do if you have been caught out like this?

First and foremost: cancel your bank card immediately because the details are now compromised.

Other things to keep in mind:

Stay away from ordering anything directly via Facebook; as a default, always order via the original website, preferably using a laptop or desktop rather than a mobile device.

This is because when we are browsing social media, often we are relatively relaxed and our defences are down. We are less suspicious, and in addition, checking the actual details and URLs is harder on a handheld device such as a phone or iPad. ‘Hovering’ over a link isn’t possible on a touchscreen and the website URLs display differently.

Also: if this has happened, the scammers now also have all your other details (even though you have cancelled your bank card). Your name, phone number, email address and physical address are all out there and it’s likely those details will be sold and used by other scammers, so be on high alert.

Scammers in possession of those details can more easily target you and quote your exact email address, bank name, and physical address. Be sure to hang up on suspicious callers and instead go direct to your official bank fraud department, SARS contact number or courier company to verify any issues.

How to avoid getting caught out in the future?

Remember: if it’s such a good deal that you are being offered, it’s likely too good to be true.

Never click the “Shop/Buy Now” link on a Facebook advert, or order directly via a sponsored link on Google. Instead, make a note of the company name and use your browser to search for it. Then go directly to the company website and look at any items you may be interested in. It takes a bit longer, but it saves you time and money in the end.