Christmas is a time of increased shopping, including online. We spend 1,600 złoty a month in online stores, making an average of four transactions a week. During the pre-holiday shopping frenzy, these numbers are even higher, which is increasingly exploited by fraudsters. The Polish police warn to be especially careful not to get into trouble before we even sit down to the Christmas Eve table!
Shops are bursting at the seams before the holidays, and in order to avoid queues and take advantage of more attractive prices, we focus on online shopping. For this purpose, we are increasingly using modern solutions such as “buy now pay later” (BNPL) services or cryptocurrency payments. These innovations have gained huge recognition among Polish consumers, along with the entire e-commerce industry, over the last three years.
However, this creates new problems, becoming a breeding ground for online fraudsters. Not being vigilant during the pre-holiday shopping rush can cost you your money. In this article, I will describe the three most popular tricks that fraudsters use, so that you can protect yourself:
- online payment fraud,
- fake courier companies,
- attempts to extort money on BLIK.
Real payment but fake store
Imagine Jarek, who wants to buy his girlfriend wireless headphones for Christmas. He browses the Internet looking for them and comes across an offer from a store he doesn’t know, where they are several hundred złoty cheaper than the competition.
The store has good reviews and, what’s more, allows payment in cryptocurrencies. Jarek is happy that he will use his bitcoins, which gained a lot in 2023, to pay and will please his girlfriend with a Christmas present.
The package was supposed to reach him in 2-3 days, but a week has passed and still no sign of the goods. Attempts to contact the store also end in failure. Jarek falls victim to a fake online store (of which unfortunately there are more and more). Cryptocurrency transactions are difficult to track and reverse, Jarek loses his money and has no way to recover it.
Don’t be like Jarek! Always use the offer of trusted online stores and auction services with a long and proven history. The chance of a small saving is not worth the risk.
Real shipment, but fake courier company
The Polish police, among others, warned against the intensification of this procedure during the holiday season. This time, imagine Alicja, who receives parcels from couriers almost every day before the holidays. She does not worry about the costs, because most of them intend to return them anyway, and thanks to the BNPL service, she does not have to pay for anything if she returns the parcels within 30 days.
However, Alice receives a message from the courier company via text message that it is necessary to make a small additional payment for the shipment sent to her. The amount is not large, it is a few zlotys, and the message immediately includes a link to a page that looks very similar to the cryptocurrency exchange website that Alice uses. Logging in to it, however, causes criminals to gain access to sensitive data (password and login), which will allow them to take over the account.
Don’t be like Alice! Never click on suspicious links, whether in text messages or emails, and always check the addresses of the cryptocurrency exchanges and banks you want to log into. What’s more, remember that a courier company will not ask you to pay a few zlotys extra via text message.
Real BLIK code, but fake friend
Krzysiek receives a message on Facebook from an old friend who suggests that he urgently needs cash due to an emergency in his family. He needs the money “right now”. He says that he is grasping at all possibilities and asks for a BLIK code to be able to cover the necessary costs as soon as possible.
For example, Krzysiek generates a BLIK code, but a much larger amount disappears from his account than his friend requested. As it turns out, someone has crept into the friend’s account and, impersonating him, extorted funds from various people.
Don’t be like Krzysiek! When someone asks you for a BLIK code or money online, verify the identity of this person. You can call them to confirm that it’s really them and that they really need your help!
If you want to learn more about how to protect yourself from scams while shopping for Christmas (including in the cryptocurrency market) and how not to become an unwitting participant in money laundering, visit the information campaign website run by the digital asset exchange Kanga.
There are a number of tips on security measures that you should take as a cryptocurrency user, as well as examples of online fraudsters. Just remember a few basic security rules and you will avoid the risk of losing your money! Make sure that your and your loved ones’ holidays are free from scams.
