The Victoria Police Department is warning the public about online shopping scams where fraudsters create fake websites and social media accounts posing as legitimate local boutiques and businesses and offering enticing deals on products that are never delivered.
The department says they have received reports of a boutique pretending to be Victoria-based, which follows similar fraudulent activity reported in Tofino earlier this summer, where the Tofino Chamber of Commerce had warned its residents about a website posing as a local boutique.
Scammers are using deceptive methods to create realistic-looking websites and social media profiles to mimic established businesses, often demanding payment via untraceable methods like cryptocurrency.
“These scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can be very convincing,” said Acting Sgt. Vlad Filatov, supervisor of the cybercrime unit. “Scammers prey on people’s desire to support local businesses and often create a sense of urgency to pressure victims into making quick decisions.”
To spot a scam website, the department suggests to look for typos, bad grammar, low-quality images, unusual characters or a recently created domain (use whois.com to check). Other tips include: verify product images aren’t stolen from other websites, check reviews and contact info, try contacting the business, verify the business's legitimacy using online resources like Scam Advisor or the Better Business Bureau, and be wary of businesses without a clear, verifiable physical address.
Police also warn to be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, as scammers often create a sense of urgency to prevent buyers from scrutinizing an offer, to avoid paying with cryptocurrency or untraceable methods such as wire transfers or gift cards and to be wary of unsolicited messages or advertisements.
Anyone who suspects fraud or thinks they have been victimized is asked to report it immediately to the E-Comm report desk at 250-995-7654 extension 1 and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
