Uganda Police has advised the public to carry out enough research on mobile applications (apps) and the companies offering them before the downloading process is carried out.
According to the police, several mobile apps are often disguised as games and offered for free when in actual sense can lead to the access of someone’s personal details, and as a result, lead to one being scammed. Police therefore, advised mobile app users to carry out thorough research on the applications themselves and the companies offering them.
“Before downloading an app, from an unknown source, consumers should do research on the company selling it or giving it away. Please look online for 3rd party reviews of the product,” the police stated.
The police cited other common ways of being scammed, such as through smart phone apps, investment scams, gifts and charity scams, among others.
The police urged the public to be more vigilant than ever at spotting potential scams that try to defraud or steal from unsuspecting members of the public especially during the festive season.
“It’s important to conduct due diligence, to thwart all efforts of scammers during this festive season,” the police noted.
Most prevalent holiday scams are non-delivery for paid goods and services found online, where the items are never received, according to Uganda police.
Some of the counterfeits were identified as non-payment scams, where goods or services are shipped without payment to the seller, social media sites that offer voucher or gifts, holiday promotions or contests, and online surveys designed to steal personal information, among others.
Every year, scammers change their techniques and methods, when targeting people’s money and personal information.
