Basically, European Distribution Fraud is when You deliver the ordered goods, but do not receive payment. In most cases, the fraudsters are claiming to be buyers from a well-known, major retail chainstore. They will also urge You to deliver the ordered goods as soon as possible. Finally, they will either order the products on credit, or will send You a bank transfer confirmation. Fortunately, the fraud is quite easy to identify, if You will follow the tips from below.
How to prevent becoming a victim of European Distribution Fraud?
1. Be careful, if the order has been placed over the email, and a sender uses a free email account.
Buyers from major retail chainstores use email addresses at their companies’ domains, because it builds trust. Because of that, You should be very careful, if the order has been sent from free email account.
2. Find the company information on Your own.
Just try to find the company on the internet, to compare the contact information with the ones You have been sent over the email. You might also contact the chainstore, to confirm that the order has been placed by their genuine buying department. To do that, please use the contact information from the retailer’s website, not the ones from the email.
3. Confirm the authenticity of bank transfer confirmation
Contact the bank, and send them the file You have received. If this will not be an option for the bank, wait until the payment will be recorded on Your bank account. This usually takes 1-2 business days. For bank transfers, You always have a full right to wait until the payment will be confirmed by Your bank, and a buyer should not have any problem with that.
Here, fraudsters might try to put You on pressure, demanding You to send them products ASAP. However, it is in Your best interest to deliver the goods after You will be paid for them, so keep calm and assertive.
To this end, if You thing that You have might become a victim of European distribution fraud, please report it as soon as possible. For UK fraud, please go to the Action Fraud website to do that: link