Skip to main content

Beware of Instagram Shopping Scams: Tips to Stay Safe

Beware of Instagram Shopping Scams: Tips to Stay Safe

In recent years, Instagram has evolved into a popular marketplace, allowing users to discover and purchase products directly through the platform. While this has made shopping more convenient, it has also opened the door to a rise in scams and fraudulent activities. Here’s what you need to know about Instagram shopping scams and how to protect yourself.

What Are Instagram Shopping Scams?

Instagram shopping scams typically involve fake accounts or websites that mimic legitimate brands. Scammers often create attractive posts featuring trendy products at unbeatable prices, luring unsuspecting shoppers into making purchases. Once you’ve placed an order, you might receive subpar merchandise, or worse, nothing at all.

I'm receiving a lot of calls nowadays about scams, and people are asking how they can get a refund and whether there is any chance of getting their money back.

Common Types of Scams are Fake Accounts, Phishing Links and Non-Delivery

Precautions to take :
1. Verify the Seller: Check the account’s followers, reviews, and engagement. Legitimate brands usually have a significant following and authentic interactions with customers. Even this is not always necessary, as it may not be an authentic account.

2. Research Before You Buy: Look up the brand online. A quick search can reveal whether others have had positive or negative experiences with the seller.

3. Watch for Red Flags: Be cautious of accounts with few posts or followers, poor-quality images, or prices that seem too good to be true.

4. Use Secure Payment Methods: Avoid providing sensitive information directly through Instagram. Use secure payment platforms that offer buyer protection. Try to avoid using UPI payments and use Cash on Delivery or credit cards options, as this gives us a better chance to stop the transaction and increases the likelihood of getting a refund in case of fraud.

5. Read Reviews: Check for reviews on independent sites or forums. This can give you some insight into the reliability of the seller.

6. Try to avoid shopping on weekends, as fraudsters often choose these days to carry out scams because banks are closed, leaving victims with fewer opportunities to take action.

Reporting an account on Instagram is a good option, but sometimes it can be problematic, especially when there is an ongoing case with the cyber cell to catch fraudsters. When we report the account, the scammers may become aware and switch off their mobile numbers, making it harder for the police to track them. This can sometimes be a disadvantage. 

Please share your suggestions in the comments.

I hope this blog will be helpful to people. Please like and share it with your family, friends, and colleagues to raise awareness about these Instagram scams.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to Protect ourselves from Online Banking frauds: Tips & Ticks

Awareness is necessity Nowadays, Online banking frauds are increasing day by day, and awareness about Internet use, Internet Security and cyber crime can be helpful in mitigating cyber crime. So here I am sharing some security guidelines you should follow during bank transactions as given by Delhi Police. Safe Bank Transaction Tips: Always do banking transactions on self-computer and mobile devices, installed with original operating system. Use the latest Antivirus software in order to detect and stay protected from most of the threats and vulnerabilities in the applications installed on computers. Never disclose ATM PIN codes and OTP “One Time Password” sent by the bank through SMS or on Email with anyone, even if he is an employee at the bank, as bank never ask you about the codes of your account or any credit card details. Avoid using public computers for making banking transactions. Avoid electronic banking transactions if you are connected to the Internet via...

Exploiting and Securing GitLab: Lessons from a TryHackMe Lab

Perimeter security isn’t enough—because sometimes the threat is already inside. In this blog post, I’m sharing what I learned from a hands-on TryHackMe lab on GitLab security . It revealed how a simple internal misconfiguration—like open registration or overly permissive repo access—can lead to major data exposure inside an organization. I’ll walk you through the red team perspective on exploiting a misconfigured GitLab instance , and then flip the script to explain how you can secure your own internal build systems . Scenario: Inside the Walls of a Large Organization Think of a large organization—like a bank—with thousands of employees and multiple teams handling development, IT operations, and security. To keep intellectual property (IP) secure, these organizations often host self-managed GitLab instances on their internal network. But here’s where things can go wrong: GitLab is hosted internally Allows anyone on the internal network to register Has some projects...

Do you know, by blindly following trends and using hashtags you can be the victim of cyber crime? : #couplechallenge

Awareness is necessity "Nohashtag challenges" Nowadays, #couplechallenge, #smilechallenge, #chirichchallenge trending on social media platforms. But do you know the history of hashtags? Lets see, how hashtag was invented. Chris Messina a product designer who has been working in Silicon Valley created the idea of hashtag. He and his small group of colleagues were thinking that twitter needs some kind of frame work. He got the idea of hashtag from internet chat room that had pound symbol in front of them. His main idea to create hashtag was for the internet and wanted that anybody writing text on internet be able to participate in global conversation. In 2007, he asked one of his friends to use #sandiego for his tweets and this way the use of hashtag started. In 2009, Twitter added the option of hashtag to its search bar. And this way hashtag became a trend. This trend then being followed by other apps like tumbler, Facebook, instag...

પ્રાઇઝ સ્કેમ: જો તમારે ઇનામ મેળવવા માટે ચૂકવણી કરવી પડતી હોય તો તે ઇનામ નથી

Awareness is necessity શું તમને ક્યારેય કોઈ કોલ્સ આવ્યા છે કે જેમાં તમે કોઈ પણ ઓનલાઇન શોપિંગ વેબસાઇટમાંથી ઇનામ અથવા લોટરી જીતી લીધી હોય તેવું કહે છે? શક્યતા છે કે આ કોલ્સ ફ્રોડ છે. સાયબર સ્વયંસેવક તરીકે, મેં આ પ્રકારની છેતરપિંડીઓના કેટલાક કેસ નું અધ્યયન કર્યું છે. ચાલો સમજીએ કે આ પ્રકારની છેતરપિંડી કેવી રીતે થાય છે? !! છેતરપિંડી કરનાર તમને કોઈપણ વિશ્વસનીય ઓનલાઇન શોપિંગ સાઇટમાંથી કર્મચારી હોવાનુ કહે છે.તેઓ તમને સાઇટ પરથી તમારી છેલ્લી ખરીદી વિશેની વિગતો, ઉત્પાદન અને ઓર્ડર ની વિગતો સાથે તમને મનાવવાનો પ્રયાસ કરે છે. જ્યારે કોઈ વ્યક્તિ માને છે કે છેતરપિંડી કરનાર ઓનલાઇન સાઇટનો કર્મચારી છે, ત્યારે તેઓ તમને વિવિધ ઇનામો જેવા કે લેપટોપ, ટીવી, મોબાઇલ ફોન વિશે આકર્ષક યોજનાઓ આપે છે અને તમારી પાસેથી એક ઇનામ પસંદ કરવાનો વિકલ્પ આપે છે.જ્યારે તમે થોડી રુચિ બતાવો અને ઇનામ પસંદ કરો ત્યારે ઉલ્લેખિત ઇનામમાંથી, તેઓ તમને SMS તરીકે એક લિંક મોકલે છે.મોકલેલી લિંક એ છેતરપિંડીની લિંક છે જે તમારી વિગતો જેવી કે બેંક વિગતો તેમજ વ્યક્તિગત માહિતી માટે પૂછે છે.નોંધણી કરતી વખતે, તે તમને તમારા સ્થા...

Docker 101: Understanding Containers from Scratch

Docker Basics and Docker Compose Explained Docker Through My Lens Introduction to Docker Docker is a platform designed to create, deploy, and run applications inside containers. Containers bundle an application with all its dependencies, ensuring consistency across different environments. Unlike virtual machines, containers are lightweight and share the host operating system kernel, making them efficient for development, testing, and deployment. Basic Docker Commands To start using Docker, here are some essential commands: docker run [image] – Runs a container from the specified image. docker ps – Lists running containers. docker ps -a – Lists all containers, including stopped ones. docker stop [container_id] – Stops a running container. docker rm [container_id] – Removes a container. docker images – Lists available Docker images. docker rmi [image_id] – Removes a Docker image. Creating Your First Docker Container You can run ...

What If your Private Information leaked without your consent?

Awareness is necessity In today's digital era, privacy is a major concern for everyone. With the increasing use of technology, it has become easier to share one’s personal information online. However, it also imposes the risk of information being misused or leaked without one’s knowledge. One such example is private photos getting uploaded on illegal websites or the dark web without your knowledge or consent. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, it is important to take immediate action to protect your privacy and rights. In this blog, we will discuss what to do in accordance with Indian Law if someone uploads your private photos on illegal websites or the dark web. File a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell The first step you should take is to file a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell of your city or town. This can be done either online or by visiting the nearest police station. Here you can call cybercrime helpline number 1930 immediately or you can regi...