Before you buy
- Look up the product name and batch number on the alerts feed.
- Prefer sellers with a physical address, business name or long track record.
- Take a moment before huge discounts or ‘limited-time’ offers — urgency is a common trick.
Safety tips
Small habits that keep you and your family safe.
Practical tips, written in plain language. Share these with anyone you care about — awareness is the simplest form of protection.
Before you pay
- Verify the phone number or account using the Verify page.
- Do not send money to personal numbers if a business exists — use business payment channels.
- For large payments, ask for a formal invoice and confirmation in writing.
Text messages & links
- Be careful with shortened links or URLs with typos.
- Banks and regulators rarely ask for PINs, OTPs or passwords by SMS.
- If a link claims you ‘won’ something you didn’t enter, treat it as suspicious.
Recalls & safety notices
- Check batch numbers on your current medicines, baby formula or food items against the feed.
- Stop using a product if an official source recommends it, even if it looks fine.
- Return recalled products where possible — keep the original packaging if you can.
Investment & ‘easy money’ schemes
- Promises of very high fixed returns are a classic warning sign.
- Verify organizations against the advisory feed before you deposit funds.
- Never pay ‘unlocking fees’ to withdraw your own money — this pattern repeats in many schemes.
Protecting relatives
- Share recalls with elderly relatives and people new to the internet.
- Agree on a family rule: always ask a second person before sending money to a new number.
- Save helpful contacts — the Verify page, a trusted relative, and official sources.
After a purchase
- Keep receipts, invoices and order screenshots for a reasonable time.
- If something feels wrong, submit a report — others can learn from your experience.
- Watch for follow-up scams (‘we’re calling because of your order…’).
Share safety, not just news.
Most consumer harm is preventable if the right person sees the right alert on time. Forward a recall, send a verification link, or just remind a relative to slow down before paying.