hopping and auction fraud involves fraudulent shopping scams that rely on the anonymity of the internet.
As the popularity of internet shopping and online auctions grows, so the number of complaints about transactions is increasing. Some of the most common complaints involve:
buyers receiving goods late, or not at all
sellers not receiving payment
buyers receiving goods that are either less valuable than those advertised or significantly different from the original description
failure to disclose relevant information about a product or the terms of sale.
If you are a victim of shopping or auction fraud, the most immediate problem is that you have no real prospect of returning the goods or having your money refunded.
After this, there is a risk that your identity details could be compromised. Fraudsters could steal your identity and use it to access your personal finances or obtain goods or finance from alternative sources.