The  police warn the public about increasing cases where people are scammed online.

“Do not pay over any money online if you do not physically see what you want to buy in front of you,” was a senior police officer’s warning about person-to-person online sales.

These scammers sell just about anything. In one of the recent local cases, residents paid for a puppy and lost thousands when the seller turned out to be a scamster.

According to the well-known online security Kaspersky, people can look for certain things when buying from an unknown seller. Check their website and see whether their text is free from spelling and grammar mistakes, as reputable brands will ensure their websites are well-written and proofread. Also, look at whether their images are not pixelated and fit the screen width correctly and whether their advertisements feel organic and are not too overpowering.