Five quick checks to avoid online shopping fraud during sales

Festive sale season is when a fake shopping site, an unfamiliar seller or a bad payment link can turn a discount into a financial loss. Moneycontrol lays out five checks to run before you pay. They apply whether you use UPI, a credit card or a debit card, and each takes only a moment.

Check the site and the seller

Look for misspelled names, unusual web addresses and links that closely copy well-known brands. Where possible, open shopping platforms through their official apps or type the address yourself, rather than tapping links from messages or social media.

A padlock or "https" in the address bar only means the connection is encrypted. It does not prove the website is genuine.

For an unfamiliar seller, read customer reviews, return and refund policies, contact details and support options. Be careful if a seller wants payment outside the platform, a transfer to a personal account or a payment through a messaging app. Money sent that way is harder to recover.

Check the payment screen

With UPI, confirm the recipient's name and the amount shown. You never need to enter your UPI PIN to receive money. With a card, check the amount during authentication and avoid saving card details on sites you do not know.

Some protection works behind the scenes. Card tokenisation swaps your real card details for a digital token, so less sensitive information is exposed. Mastercard says its AI-based Decision Intelligence technology helps banks assess transaction risk and spot possible fraud. Even so, the article stresses that you should verify payment details yourself before approving anything.

Slow down and guard your codes

Flash sales, countdown timers and huge discounts create pressure to buy fast. Many offers are real, but fraudsters use the same tactics to push people into clicking harmful links or handing over payment details. Before paying, take these steps:

• Compare prices across trusted platforms.
• Confirm offers on the official brand website or app.
• Check the final amount, including delivery, taxes and fees.
• Treat any upfront payment to claim cashback, a reward or a prize as a warning sign.

Keep your OTP (the one-time code sent to your phone), UPI PIN and banking passwords private. Banks, payment networks and genuine support staff will not ask for them by call, message or email. If someone says a payment failed, a refund is pending or your account needs verification, share nothing. Contact the bank or merchant through its official support channels. Do not approve an OTP or payment request you did not start.

If something goes wrong

Keep watching transaction alerts and bank statements after you pay, especially after several festive purchases. If you see an unauthorized transaction, report it to your bank right away and ask for the affected card or payment facility to be blocked, as appropriate.

Suspected cyber financial fraud can also be reported to the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or on cybercrime.gov.in.