Online shopper pays Dh14,700 for a 'stone'

An unsuspecting online shopper was recently conned into paying Dh14,700 for what he thought was a ‘branded’ watch on an online auction site. Instead of the watch he received a small stone.
 
Lieutenant Colonel Taher Al Dhaheri, Head, Organised Crime Combating Section, Criminal Investigation Department, Abu Dhabi Police, said the victim -  a manager at an insurance firm in Abu Dhabi – informed police after he was duped into paying Dh14,700 via credit card for a gold watch in an online auction.
 
Lt. Col. Al Dhaheri called upon shoppers to ensure the websites are secure before making any purchases, such as making a note of the address, telephone number, fax number and any other contact details of the company that they are buying from and not simply rely only on an email address. He urged shoppers to buy from only well-known sites.
 
He added that is it advisable to “use a special credit card allocated specifically for online shopping with a limited balance, and to keep an electronic and hard copy of the purchase receipt.”
 
Lt. Col. Al Dhaheri also urged residents to quickly report any case of online fraud. Public can contact authorities on e-mail (ecrime@adpolice.gov.ae) to communicate e-crimes.

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