As temperatures drop and the campaign to change car tires begins, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has warned about fraud committed during the online sale of winter tires. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
How the fraud scheme works
Fraudsters post advertisements for winter tires at affordable prices on online platforms, social media, and messengers. Posing as sellers, they offer to make an advance payment to reserve the goods or transfer the full amount. They cite high demand and a limited number of tires.
After receiving the money, the fraudsters stop communicating, block the buyers, and delete their advertisements. As a result, citizens are left without goods and lose their money, the ministry says.
Recommendations from specialists
To prevent such cases, the following precautions are recommended:
- 01do not transfer an advance payment or the full amount to unfamiliar sellers before receiving the goods;
- 02do not trust offers with too low a price;
- 03where possible, buy tires from official stores and reliable retail outlets;
- 04before making a payment, personally check the availability and condition of the goods;
- 05do not follow suspicious links and do not give bank details or SMS codes to strangers.
Law enforcement officers also warned that a low price and a demand for quick advance payment may be signs of online fraud.