KATHMANDU, Jan 4: Keeping in view of the growing number of online shopping victims, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has cautioned consumers to check the authenticity of the online sites before purchasing any items.

Of late, the bureau has arrested Dipesh Sapkota, 22, of Bharatpur-13 of Chitwan district, on charge of duping consumers online. According to CIB Spokesperson SP Mira Chaudhary, Sapkota was found to have duped several consumers by operating a Facebook page named 'Mobile selling and buying in Nepal'.

According to the police, the page displayed several electronic devices like mobile phones, laptops and cameras of different brands for sale. Interested buyers were requested to contact him to purchase the stuffs. Once the customers contacted him in the mentioned number, he asked them to deposit the amount in his bank account and assured to deliver item within 24 hour.

“Once he received the amount, he remained contactless,” SP Chaudhary said.  “We have received several complaints against such unauthorized shopping and fraud cases in the past few years,” she added.

CIB has strictly urged the consumers to check the reliability of such online shopping sites before depositing the amount in their account. 

Meanwhile, CIB has also warned not to accept Facebook requests from unknown friends and chat with them. The warning comes after the arrest of two youngsters -- Anil Nath Shrestha of Sundhara in Lalitpur and Anita Maharjan of Banasthali Marg, Kathmandu -- on charge of defrauding people. They have been accused of cheating people by assuring to provide them 'precious gifts' for a certain charge for delivering the gifts. 

We would also like to alert Facebook users about such frauds and complain to the CIB office based in Maharajgunj if they have been victimized by such frauds.

 
• central investigation bureau
 
• online shopping
 
• fraudsters