Always verify who your transaction partner is and check previous reviews about the seller. If a seller has been operating fraudulently for a long time, there will usually be negative reviews available online.

Check what information the seller has provided on the specific website. According to European Union regulations, sellers must provide a range of pre-contractual information before finalizing a purchase agreement. Never buy from a seller whose identity cannot be verified.

Make sure the online store has been granted a trust mark. One of the key characteristics of trust marks (also known as quality labels) is that they are displayed on a website as an electronic label. The primary purpose of these labels is to inform visitors that a specific code of conduct is being followed, ensuring that the store can be trusted.

Try to avoid making advance payments.

Do not transfer money to private accounts. Likewise, avoid sending money to unknown individuals using money transfer systems like Western Union or MoneyGram, as recovering funds in case of fraud will be extremely difficult. This is the main reason why fraudulent sellers use such payment methods. These types of money transfer services are meant for sending money to known individuals, not for online transactions.

Keep in mind that ECC-NET’s competence in fraud cases is limited. ECC-NET can only assist with existing traders if consumer protection laws have not been respected.