Here are some tips to avoid online payment scams

Nowadays, online payments have become widely used as many people stay indoors due to the pandemic.

However, some people have fallen victims to fraudulent transactions perpetrated by scammers.

To avoid this, Police Capt. Mark Gerald Norbe of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group said people involved in online payment transactions could ask for an identification card.

“Ask for an identification card or any [ID] to verify the identity of the person you’re transacting with,” Norbe said in Filipino on “Unang Hirit.”

“Most of these scammers target kids or elders. They look at who’s vulnerable and easily tricked so … you should be calm and don’t rush the transaction (when they’re pressuring you),” he said.

Some e-wallet apps display the name of the account owner. This can be used to validate the identity of the recipient, according to Norbe.

If the money transferred didn’t show up on the account, Norbe advised to check the app and call customer service.

He also advised people to do banking transactions on weekdays.

“When it’s the weekend, sometimes the money doesn’t reflect immediately. Avoid the weekends. Sometimes it takes days before it shows up on your bank account,” Norbe added.

He also said it’s good to use cash-on-delivery service, where the courier service would be the middleman between the buyer and the seller.

According to Norbe, it will also be easier to conduct an investigation in case of discrepancies because the contact details can easily be found.

Lastly, he advised to turn on notifications to be alerted when a transaction was made.

On Sunday, “24 Oras” reported that a woman received PHP8,500 in e-wallet credits from a store in Tondo, Manila, and ran off without paying. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News