At Startselect, the security and privacy of our customers' data is a top priority. While we always work hard to keep our data safe and prevent our customers from falling victim to scams, scammers are constantly coming up with new and inventive ways to steal your money, personal and financial information. There are a number of ways you can protect yourself from cybercrime and keep your information out of the wrong hands.

In this article, we'll give you some examples of common scams.

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Gift card scams
Have you been asked to buy gift cards from Startselect for purposes other than personal use? Scammers often create urgent situations so that you may feel stressed and pressured. That way, you may not think (logically) about what they're asking you to do. This can then lead to you purchasing gift cards and forwarding them the codes.

Help desk scam
Have you searched online for the phone number of a company or organization that is generally hard to find? And do you subsequently find contact details on a website that appears to be what you are looking for? Don't fall for it! These are often scammers who are all too happy to help you with all your problems. They then ask you to use software that allows them to access your screen and/or computer remotely. You must authorize a one-time payment and they indicate that they will refund the money immediately, while they are actually ordering from Startselect and making you pay for an order on our website. Does this exactly describe your experience? Then immediately disconnect the ''remote access'' software, hang up the phone and contact us directly.

Scams on social media and marketplace
Sometimes, scammers appear in an offer on marketplace, an advertisement on social media or via search engines. They offer products at a very low price, or you appear to have won an expensive item. As soon as the scammers have found a victim, they place an order with Startselect for the same amount. They then share the payment request with their victim, who then pays for this order. Do you see Startselect during the payment process and does this not sound familiar to you? Then immediately click everything away, disconnect the scammer and report it to the police.

Phishing
A scammer sends you an email or text message to get your personal information. You may recognize it: an e-mail from your boss requesting immediate attention, or a text message from a bank to take action. The scammer will create a sense of urgency to make you act quickly, such as receiving a fine, missing a package delivery or not claiming a supposedly won prize on time. Don't fall for it!

Pop-up scams
Pop-ups can appear when you surf the Internet. Usually with a tempting link or button that you can click that will take you to a fraudulent website. They may also appear as ''alerts'' on your computer, claiming that ransomware has been detected on your device and that you should take immediate action. These types of pop-ups can be installed by malware or adware programs; the scammers are trying to panic you and charge you money to get the problem resolved. They scare you into thinking that your personal information is at risk from of a virus, while it is, in fact, the pop-up and the people behind the pop-up who present the risk.

Have you been scammed?
Did you find out that you've been scammed? Then go directly to this page, try to cancel the order and have the money refunded. However, keep in mind that in almost all cases, scammers will exchange the ordered code immediately. Once this has happened, unfortunately we can no longer refund the money.

We advise you in all cases to inform your bank as soon as possible and to report this to the police.