Surge in online scams prompts consumer warnings

The widespread use of technology and the internet has triggered an explosion of online fraud, with consumers falling prey to scammers and complaints pouring in daily.

Chairman of the Cyprus Consumers and Quality of Life Union Loucas Aristodemou told state radio on Tuesday that the latest scheme involved a text message sent purportedly by a supermarket chain, calling on customers to redeem their points from purchases.

“This does not only happen in cases such as the supermarket, but with clothing retailers as well,” Aristodemou said.

The consumer union was currently in the process of informing the public about the scam and how to avoid it.

The police electronic crime service investigates the messages.

Aristodemou himself has on many occasions forwarded fraudulent emails to the businesses whose name was involved, so that they could be aware of the scam.

“You cannot tell someone exactly what to avoid, however something that is out of the ordinary could possibly be malicious,” Aristodemou explained.

He added that single-use credit cards issued by banks on demand are one way of avoiding being scammed.