Kathmandu — Nepal Police has said that there is a growing trend of people posting attractive photos and videos on social media to encourage customers to order various goods and then defrauding them without delivering the goods. The police have urged citizens to be aware of such frauds in the name of online business. The police have mentioned that one way to avoid such frauds is to choose the ‘cash on delivery’ option.

According to a notice issued by the police on Thursday, various sites are opened on social media to present attractive schemes to customers and after the customer orders the goods, they are asked to transfer the amount to a bank account or scan the QR code to pay the amount. According to the police, the trend of fraudsters closing contact and not sending the goods has increased after receiving the amount.

‘There is an increasing trend of demanding money in various QR and bank accounts when ordering goods and defrauding them by not delivering the goods after receiving the amount,’ the police said in a notice. ‘We request everyone to be aware of this.’ The police have given some suggestions to avoid such incidents. It states that the ‘cash on delivery’ option can be adopted, which allows cash payment only after receiving the ordered goods. Similarly, it has been said that goods should be ordered only after confirming the official seller. The police suggest ‘looking at the feedback of other customers, comparing prices with other sellers.’

The police have also suggested what to do if you fall victim to fraud. The police have requested that if you fall victim to such fraud, you should register a complaint with the police’s cyber bureau along with a screenshot and link. The notice states that for those outside the Kathmandu Valley, you can file a complaint with the concerned district police office.