Amazon releases handbook to help shoppers identify online frauds and scams

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Fake websites, bogus delivery packages, payment scams and 'too-good-to-be-true' deals - these are among the most common online shopping frauds that people face today, according to a new consumer handbook that aims to help shoppers identify such scams and stay safe while buying online.

The consumer handbook developed by Safer Internet India and commissioned by Amazon seeks to help online shoppers identify, prevent and protect themselves from online frauds and scams.

According to a release, the handbook 'Your Guide to Safe Online Shopping' offers simple, actionable guidance to navigate India's rapidly expanding digital marketplace safely and confidently.

The handbook identifies common online frauds, from fake websites and phishing links to fake delivery scams, too-good-to-be-true deals, to empty box scams and payment scams. Other forms of fraud are fake urgency scams, delivery box scams, fake customer support accounts and membership renewal scams, among others.

The handbook seeks to simplify digital safety concepts into easy-to-understand guidance, the release said, adding it covers common online shopping scams, safe shopping practices, consumer rights under Indian laws, grievance redressal mechanisms and practical steps consumers can take to protect themselves while shopping online.

Rohan Oommen, vice president of worldwide customer and partner trust at Amazon, noted that India's fast-growing digital economy and e-commerce boom are bringing first-time online shoppers onto platforms, particularly from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

While these customers are eager to embrace online shopping, some of them may lack experience to identify fraud and safely navigate digital transactions, making awareness and education increasingly important. To strengthen user safety, Amazon has introduced tools including verify@amazon.com, where customers can forward suspicious emails for authenticity checks and technology to detect phishing websites.

He said the company identified and helped take down over 70,000 phishing sites last year.

"From a technology perspective, we're making the right investments," he told PTI.

Oommen highlighted that empowering customers through awareness becomes critical because users will not use safety tools unless they recognise the risks.

"If a customer doesn't know there's a problem, they're not going to use any of the tools we have. And so our focus through this mission and the book we released today is to say how do we educate customers...that there is a set of problems they need to look at for themselves, and how do we make them informed and empowered so they can also take care of themselves," he added.

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