Shopping Express Potentially Hacked - Support Email Asking for Bank Transfer

rickyygee on 20/10/2021 - 15:28
Last edited 20/10/2021 - 18:26

UPDATE

I went in person and they confirmed in person that it was in fact them. It was a high risk purchase that they wanted a bank transfer instead of cc/paypal. Another user also kindly dmed me telling me that their store does similar practices due to bots/fraud etc.

I was quite convinced it was textbook scam since it was exactly the same as what the ACCC website had said so I was really cautious.

END UPDATE

I recently purchased some graphics cards for me and a mate from Shopping Express. 3 Business days later I receive a refund into my Paypal. I went on their site and contacted support via their support widget on their website
They replied with

"Thank you for your order on Shopping express!
We are contacting you with some news in relation to your recent order. As I am sure you are aware due to the mining boom currently ongoing graphics cards are in high demand.
As a result of this we have also had a spike in fraudulent orders in order to look after our valued customers will be issuing a refund for your order. If you would like to re order, then we can do so via bank transfer.
but for this order due to being paid for credit card/Paypal we are not able to release at this time
should you wish to re order with Bank Transfer please respond back to me.
Sorry for any Inconvence.
We really do appreciate your business and happy to sell you the products
Thank you for your understanding"

The above email has spelling errors and grammatical mistakes so this made me really suspicious.

They then sent me an email from another email address that has a string of random characters followed by shopping express and more random characters with a pdf for the invoice. My couldn't open the pdf which is good cause it's probable that it contains malware

A quick search on ACCC shows that this type of scam has been happening quite a lot recently Article

It seems like their ecommerce account for their website and emails have been hacked like in the article

That being said is the best option to just wait it out for the business to be reclaimed? Does this seem like a scam to you?

Poll Options

  • 27
    SCAM
  • 6
    not a scam
Electrical & Electronics

Related Stores

Shopping Express
Shopping Express

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 20/10/2021 - 15:33
    +2

    Their telephone number is 02-8338 8899. Try ringing them up and see if it actually is a genuine email.

    https://www.shoppingexpress.com.au/view/customer-service-sho…

    (Edit: they also have a ticket system, click on the Support widget on the bottom left of the website)

    • rickyygee on 20/10/2021 - 15:34
      +1

      I have but their number has been disabled since the beginning of COVID so that was a dead end :/

      • scrimshaw on 20/10/2021 - 15:34
        +2

        Their Ozbargain rep is https://www.ozbargain.com.au/user/52003

        Also might want to look at the email header to see if their email did originate from SE and hasn't been spooofed. https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Email-Spoofing

        • rickyygee on 20/10/2021 - 15:41
          +1

          I sent them a message just now, you're a legend!

          Yeah the email chain was started by me when I contacted support from their end and it hasn't been spoofed. I should add that they sent me another invoice from another email that has shopping express in it but also a string of other characters and words

        • Settero on 20/10/2021 - 15:42
          +2

          This unfortunately means very little in today's day and age, so many businesses having their email system compromised and fraudulent emails being sent from a genuine business email.

          I don't think it's the case here , but just general advice.

    • rickyygee on 20/10/2021 - 15:46

      I updated on the top but the email chain was started from that support widget

  • OMGJL on 20/10/2021 - 17:26
    +1

    As my previous work experience in a similar shop, paypal payment might not be "instant" for shops, especially when it's paid via paypal cheque…… Like paypal pulls the money out of your account, place it in void for couple days, before giving to the actual store, and the store can get scammed this way.

    I think shopping express is just covering their own ass by only allowing paying via bank transfer, as once the fund is in their account, no way customer can get it back without going through with them.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/10/2021 - 17:59
      +1

      Then they shouldn't offer PayPal as a payment method in the first place then.

      • rickyygee on 20/10/2021 - 18:27
        -1

        OMGJL is right as they are just covering their own ass. It seems like that they only do this for high value transactions. Paypal is still ok for lower value purchases

        • pharkurnell on 20/10/2021 - 18:32

          Shouldnt make a difference if its $1.00 or $5000
          They should have that on their site as terms.

          • rickyygee on 20/10/2021 - 18:42

            @pharkurnell: I definitely agree

          • OMGJL on 20/10/2021 - 23:18
            +1

            @pharkurnell: I agree, but that's the problem with business using those payment services now, you don't use those payment service, you lose business straight away, you use those payment services, you either get scammed or ripped off.

            That's Visa/Mastercard/Paypal/UberEats/ZIP/afterpay and so on.

        • [Deactivated] on 21/10/2021 - 07:10

          they only do this for high value transactions. Paypal is still ok for lower value purchases

          So, then they shouldn't offer PayPal as a payment option for high value transactions…

          They clearly have a policy of not accepting PayPal for high value transactions, but they are being deceptive to you about it by accepting your PayPal payment for the high value item and then coming back to you asking to pay another way.

  • CyberMurning on 20/10/2021 - 18:53

    Went in in person where? They have brick store?

    • rickyygee on 20/10/2021 - 20:20

      Yeah not a store front really but kinda like warehouse/office

  • bobbified on 20/10/2021 - 21:50

    A few people have probably opened dodgey claims and Paypal has probably decided in favour of the buyer and taken the money back from Shopping Express.

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