“A customer is always right” is a rule that many of us have learned by heart. でも, that’s not necessarily true, especially when it comes to scammers.
While all customers should be treated with respect, there are plenty of scammers who take advantage of business owners trying to provide quality service. That’s why every online seller should be aware of common red flags and take steps to minimize their risks.
Some scam methods originate from in-person shopping, while others are only for online stores. The most common scams include refund abuse and credit card fraud.
Read on to learn more about the most popular types of scams and how to prevent ecommerce fraud in your online store.
What Is Fraud?
Fraud is any type of deception or misrepresentation that is used to illegally obtain something of value. In the context of online shopping, fraud can take many forms. Fraud can look like using stolen credit card information to make unauthorized purchases, posing as a legitimate customer returning merchandise that was never purchased, などなど.
すべての中小企業の経営者は、最も一般的な種類のショッピング詐欺を特定し、自分の店が被害に遭わないようにする方法を知っている必要があります。. e コマース詐欺を防止する方法については、以下をお読みください。.
過払い詐欺
オンライン ショッピングで最も一般的なタイプの詐欺の 1 つは、過払いです。.
過払いは、顧客が商品の合意価格よりも多く支払う場合に発生します, 時には不正なクレジットカードで, そして差額の返金を求めます.
これらの詐欺師を見分ける方法は 3 つあります:
- お金を受け取っていません. 顧客は、追加の支払いを返すまでお金が保留されていると主張しています.
- 領収書が疑わしい - 偽物が送られてくる可能性がある.
- 顧客は、特定の銀行口座に送金するか、電信送金を使用することを望んでいます.
それを防ぐ方法
このような状況では、通常、詐欺師と個人的にチャットすることになります. そのような, この種の詐欺について知ってしまえば、兆候を見逃すことは困難です。. 過払い詐欺からビジネスを守るためにできること:
Use Trusted Payment Providers
初め, always be suspicious of any payments that are higher than the agreed price. If a customer requests a refund for an overpayment, be sure to confirm that the funds were actually transferred to your account.
2番, make sure that you only accept payments through reputable payment methods, such as Stripe, 光速の支払い, ペイパル, 等.
If you sell with Ecwid by Lightspeed, you can choose from 100+ trusted payment providers from all over the world. お住まいの地域で利用できる便利で安全な支払いプロバイダーを選択できます, あなたの好みと場所に基づいて.
詐欺の疑いがある場合, お客様にお金を返してはいけません, 特に暗号通貨を使用しない, 電信送金, またはプリペイドカード. お金を取り戻すのは不可能に近いでしょう.
決済業務担当者の限定
個人事業主の場合, これはあなたには当てはまりません.
でも, 共同創業者がいる場合, 従業員, or even a friend or a family member who helps you with customer care, make sure everyone who has access to payments is aware of scam protection methods.
Swapping
In this day and age, you can buy a fake copy of almost anything—often for a fraction of the price. そのような, it’s often quite hard to tell the difference.
Swapping is when someone returns a product but instead of giving you the product they bought, they give you a cheaper or older product. This scheme can be especially dangerous for sellers of expensive items.
This Dolce & ガッバーナバッグのコスト $1,298. 偽のコピーには費用がかかります $329
もう 1 つの一般的なタイプの詐欺は、誰かが新しい製品を壊れた製品と交換し、それを返品しようとする場合です。. 特に家電や電化製品を販売している場合, 特にこの詐欺には注意が必要です. 詐欺師は新しい製品を壊れた製品と交換し、返金を要求します.
それを防ぐ方法
「スワッパー」と戦うのは簡単ではありません。顧客は、破損した商品についてあなたまたは宅配便サービスを責める可能性があります. This scam can be difficult to counter if you don’t have proof that it was in good condition when it left your hands. To avoid this, it’s important to take some precautions beforehand:
Check Products Before Sending Them to Clients
Record your product’s finest details so that you can identify any flaws or differences if the product is swapped. Make sure your products don’t have any defects or damages before you ship an order. If selling electronics, always ensure that they work before shipping.
また, keep documentation or proof that the product was in good condition when it left your hands. This could include photos or videos of the product being packaged and/or shipped.
If you are sure you sent a high-quality product and your customer claims the opposite, you can provide the documentation that proves it or compare serial numbers on the product and in your records. Or you can give them the refund without hassle but put this person on your blacklist so that they can’t shop in your store anymore.
Pack Orders Thoroughly
To prevent damage to your product during shipping, pack it well. This means using high-quality packing materials like bubble wrap, foam peanuts, また eco-friendly options such as recycled cardboard and biodegradable peanuts. Make sure the box is sturdy enough to protect the contents inside.
If you are shipping electronics or other items that could be easily exchanged without you knowing, include tamper-proof packaging or some other way to ensure that the product cannot be easily swapped.
Record Stock
Keep track of your inventory levels carefully. This will help you identify any discrepancies if a product is swapped out and returned to your store.
Use barcodes, universal product codes such as UPC or GTINs, or come up with your own product codes, そのような SKUs. You can add the product’s number to the order receipt so that you can confirm the product is actually from you in the case that it is returned.
プラス, with specific codes, anyone can check the products’ authenticity—a delivery person, the postal service, あなた, and your employees can all make sure it’s legit.
If you sell online with Ecwid by Lightspeed, you can specify product codes when adding attributes in the product details. You can also display SKUs in your 請求書.
もっと詳しく知る: How GTINs Can Power Your Ecommerce Business Across Platforms and Marketplaces
Create a Return Policy and Instruct Employees
To avoid any confusion later on, have a clear return policy in place from the beginning. This should include what types of products can be returned, their condition, as well as how and where returns should be sent. It’s also a good idea to have a time limit for returns.
Your return policy must be clear—not only for customers but also for employees who process refunds. Give clear instructions to everyone involved and make them follow them strictly. Think through the whole procedure, from determining the legitimacy of the return to refunding customers who have followed the rules.
If your delivery person deals with returns, explain to them how to tell an original product from a fake one before returning the product back to you.
Wardrobing
Wardrobing is a popular scheme in the fashion industry, especially among shops that sell evening gowns, アクセサリー, or jewels. A customer can order an expensive dress, wear it to a party, and then return it as if it didn’t fit.
While wardrobing may seem like a victimless crime, it actually causes significant financial damage to businesses.
According to the National Retail Foundation, for every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurs $166 million in merchandise returns. さらに, for every $100 in returned products, retailers lose $10.30 to return fraud.
Not only do businesses lose money when wardrobers return clothes, but they also have to spend time and resources dealing with returns.
それを防ぐ方法
A professional wardrober can make worn clothes look unused, so it can be very hard to expose them. でも, that doesn’t mean you should let things slide.
Call Customers Back
Confirm orders on the phone to ask if the customer chose the right size and color. Personal attention can scare away scammers. You can also call them the day after the delivery to check if they are satisfied with the product.
Use Anti-Wardrobing Tags
Anti-wardrobing tags, or return tags, allow a customer to try on a piece of clothing but are hard to conceal while wearing. Once such a tag is removed, it’s hard or impossible to put it back.
State in your return policy that the tag must not be removed or damaged for products to be eligible for return and refund. こちらです, you’ll deter wardrobers while still allowing honest shoppers to return a product that didn’t fit.
Think Through Your Refund Policy
It’s likely people will shop again at the store which accepted a product back without a problem. でも, の 2021, 60% of online sellers worldwide reported noticing an increase in refund abuse.
Making your return policy a breeze doesn’t mean letting scammers take advantage of you. Specify the conditions for a return and refund: limit the return period, give a list of documents for purchase confirmation, and ask them to fill out a refund form.
You can also decide who pays for shipping expenses in case of a return. One great way to deter returns is by making shipping costs the customers’ responsibility. Paying shipping fees creates a hassle for scammers.
また, check out your local laws to see what protections you have as a business owner. 例えば, in the EU, customers can’t return made-to-order or clearly personalized products.
Pretending the Order Didn’t Arrive
Scammers may take advantage of postal services, それも. A customer might receive the order but act as if they didn’t, then request their money back. If the store can’t prove that the product was delivered, they have to provide a refund.
それを防ぐ方法
It is not that difficult to prove the product was delivered. あなたはできる:
Track Parcels
Most postal services provide tracking numbers. If you use a major shipping provider, you can check if the order was received on the carrier’s website. こちらです, no one will be able to trick you or pretend that they didn’t receive the order.
Customers can track their parcels on the USPS website
Providing your customers with tracking numbers for their orders not only helps to prevent fraud but also improves the post-purchase experience of your store. It makes the shipping process transparent. プラス, you’ll have fewer “Where is my order?” questions in your inbox.
If you sell online with Ecwid by Lightspeed, あなたはできる add tracking numbers to orders so that your customers can get real-time updates about their purchases on the carrier’s website. You can also use the Aftership また TrackFree app to track all of your shipments in one place, automatically notifying customers of delivery updates via emails or SMS notifications.
Chargeback Fraud
Chargeback fraud, also known as friendly fraud, which occurs when a rightful cardholder places an order and then pretends that their card was stolen. 頻繁, friendly fraud can look believable and honest, so it’s hard to tell when it’s happening.
通常, chargeback fraud will occur after the product has already been shipped. An online store will get a refund request from the “true” cardholder, who says that it wasn’t them who bought the item.
If the bank takes the customer’s side, you have to pay the money back. A seller suffers double damage because a product is lost, and money has to be paid to the scammer.
Friendly fraud is one of the most common fraud attacks for e-merchants (ソース: 政治家)
Sometimes chargebacks do happen because of honest mistakes. 例えば, if you sell products on a subscription basis, some customers might place a subscription order instead of a one-time purchase by mistake. この場合, they might request a chargeback.
To prevent confusion, ensure that you clearly state the subscription terms on the product page.
もし、あんたが sell subscription-based products with Ecwid by Lighstpeed, all the necessary details about setting up a recurring payment are displayed automatically on the product pages of subscription items.
Customers can see important information about a subscription on the product page
それを防ぐ方法
The best way to avoid chargeback fraud is by having strict verification measures in place before fulfilling an order. Follow these tips to prevent chargeback fraud:
Confirm Orders Before Shipping
If customers confirm their order by phone or email, they can’t claim that they didn’t buy it. Ensure to clearly describe the payment terms when confirming the order.
でも, this type of fraud prevention works best with smaller stores or ones that sell personalized products. If you don’t have a lot of employees but offer a huge inventory, confirming each order will take too much time.
幸いなことに, there are other ways you can avoid chargeback fraud.
Accept Cryptocurrencies
Accepting cryptocurrencies eliminates chargeback fraud. Once a client has paid for your product or service, the money is and will stay in your account. Cryptocurrency payments are final. Unlike credit card payments, transactions cannot be reversed.
Once a person pays with cryptocurrency, they can usually get their money back only if the person they paid sends it back. So if you suspect a chargeback fraud, you won’t be forced by a bank to make a refund.
If you sell online with Ecwid by Lightspeed, あなたはできる accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, 等, in your online store from customers all over the world.
Purchase with a Stolen Card
Scammers often pay for orders in online shops with stolen cards. In the US, credit card fraud is the most common form of identity theft.
それを防ぐ方法
If you accept credit cards, make sure your payment gateway has the following anti-fraud technologies:
Customer Identity Authentication via SMS (3D secure protocol)
3D protocol minimizes the risk of stolen card fraud. 仕組みは次のとおりです: one more authentication step is added to a purchase payment in an online store. 通常, it is a request to provide a code sent to the customer’s phone. ビザ, マスターカード, and American Express use this as a way of transaction protection.
3D Secure аlow (画像クレジット: By GPayments, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Fraud Monitoring and Detection Systems (AntiFraud)
A fraud monitoring system checks transactions automatically. If it looks suspicious, the system requires a manual check or cancels the transaction.
Transactions are checked in many ways, from the computer’s IP address to a card’s payment statistics. The aim of the system is to confirm that a user is a true cardholder who normally shops at this online store.
例えば, if a transaction is performed in the US by a US cardholder, and the order’s sum doesn’t exceed the average order value (AOV) of a shop, then the transaction will be approved. If a customer tries to pay for an order that exceeds the AOV by a significant amount, then the transaction is considered suspicious.
AntiFraud can be used even if you don’t have a payment provider. Create a portrait of your typical customer: 年, AOV, 位置. If some features don’t match with your portrait of your typical customer, it’s best to connect with the customer and confirm the order.
Cash Fraud
Along with other payment methods, you can allow cash payment in your online store. 不幸にも, scammers take advantage of that, それも.
例えば, a scammer can ask you to meet them in the street (so that they can run away if exposed). They pay, you count the money and notice it’s not enough. The scammer apologizes, takes money back, supposedly adds the lacking banknote, and gives it back to you. もちろん, the sum is wrong again because the scammer has already taken some money out or replaced them with fake banknotes.
If you count the money again and detect the scam, a customer will try to leave as fast as possible. But if you don’t count the money again, it’ll be almost impossible to find and blame the scammer.
それを防ぐ方法
If you decide to accept cash payments, you must treat it with the same seriousness as online payments:
Have Strict Instructions for Cash Payments
It’s best to accept cash payments only for in-store pickup orders. Ask your team to avoid meeting in the street, lobbies, and other places where it’s easy for a scammer to run away.
また, if you often accept payments in cash, consider investing into a counterfeit money detector.
How to Report Fraud
The most common customer fraud is the abuse of payment for products, like overpayment. Watch out for suspicious orders. If you are in any doubt about a transaction, make sure to gather as much information as possible to establish your customer is legitimate.
You might also be wondering how to report scammers. If you believe you have been the victim of fraud, you should first contact the credit card company to report the fraudulent activity, like if you believe a purchase was made with a stolen card. You should also file a police report or complaint to local authorities.
To Sum Up
Customer fraud can be costly and damaging not only to your business, but the retail industry in general. Retailers have to compensate for the losses caused by scammers, which may lead to increased prices and cost-cutting. That, 順番に, can result in more expensive products or job cuts.
幸いなことに, by taking some simple precautions, you can minimize your risks and help protect your business from fraudulent activity. Remember the information we shared in this article the next time you have a sketchy order, unreasonable return request, or any other suspicious behavior.
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