The rising threat of e-commerce frauds

Be cautious when purchasing from little-known websites

With shoppers perpetually on the hunt for bargains online, scammers have begun to lure them with attractive offers and discounts. It’s only after an individual receives a counterfeit product or doesn’t get a delivery at all that he realises he has been cheated.

Abhyuday Agarwal, a 29-year-old entrepreneur, came across an advertisement on a social network site that offered Rolex watches costing between Rs 70,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh — at a discount of over 65 per cent. “The seller offered a compelling story that these watches were old stock, purchased from physical stores in the US,” says Agarwal.

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