How to recognize unsafe e-shops? Expert advises

According to Eurostat data, in 2024, 72 percent of the European Union population aged 16–75 shopped online, up from 60 percent in 2019. The largest number of online shoppers are in Ireland (95 percent), the Netherlands (94 percent) and Denmark (90 percent), while in Lithuania, 51 percent of the population used e-commerce last year. As online shopping volumes grow, the risk of falling for scammers increases.

Tempting with big discounts

According to Romas Čereška, Head of the Baltics Fund Management and Trade Finance Department at Citadele Bank, well-known and larger online stores are usually more reliable. Especially if they accept Mastercard and VISA cards, which provide additional protection against online fraud - the 3D Secure system. 

This system requests additional authentication through the bank, thus reducing the risk of unauthorized card transactions.

"The fact that the seller is registered in the 3D Secure system is indicated by the Mastercard SecureCode and Verified by Visa logos on the online store. However, fraudsters are becoming more and more inventive, they can forge logos and illegally use images of famous people to advertise their stores. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to other details that give away the scammers' traps," says Romas Čereška.

One of the tricks of scammers is incredibly good discounts advertised on social networks or other channels . During seasonal sales, real stores also offer significant discounts, but consumers should be more vigilant when they see discounts of 70, 80 percent or even higher.

It is also worth paying attention to the structure of the online store: if it contains a lot of spelling errors, some sections are not working, or the seller's contact information is not provided - there is a good chance that the website is fake, because scammers do not want to invest a lot of time and money into creating a fake store.

Benefits of two-factor authentication

When making an online purchase, the seller usually asks for your name, delivery address, and phone number. However, when making a payment, you may also need to enter payment details, such as your card number, card expiration date, and CVV security code.

"If an online store asks for other sensitive information, be quiet. No reliable online store will ever ask for your personal identification number, bank card PIN code, or internet banking login password," says R. Čereška.

According to him, another way to increase security is to use two-factor authentication on frequently used accounts like  Gmail, Facebook, Amazon,  etc.

"If someone else tries to log in from another device or browser, you will receive a notification or SMS on your phone to confirm such a login, so you will be informed every time there is an attempt to log in to your account," explains a representative of Citadele Bank.

In addition, for each payment card, you can set the regions where it can be used for payments. Fraudsters often operate abroad, so if you do not plan to make purchases outside the European Union, indicate this in your online bank or mobile app - then purchases from third countries will be unavailable.

If you decide to travel to blocked countries, it is important to remember to review these settings before your trip so that you can make smooth card payments during your trip.

"The golden rule is to take your time. If in doubt, it is necessary to look for reviews about the store online, consult with relatives, and find out how much the same item costs in other online stores," Romas Čereška summarizes.