Are You Able to Recognise Online Scammers?

The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) together with the EU SME Centre organized the webinar "How to Minimise Risks of Scams" on August 31st.

A significant number of EU SMEs reportedly encounter issues when purchasing online goods from China. In this scenario, are there any actions to prevent online scams? And, what can you do if you have already been scammed?

Our experts addressed these questions, providing insights and practical solutions to help EU SMEs deal with scammers when buying online! 

"After being scammed, there is very little that EU SMEs can do; legal action in China requires a significant amount of money and time. Scammers know this very well and indeed rely on this aspect to perpetrate their frauds. Prevention is key!" (Alessio Petino, Business Advisor at EU SME Centre)

Our first speaker Alessio Petino, Business Advisor at the EU SME Centre, analyzed six common reg flags that can help you to recognise a scammer and suggested some preventive actions that can be undertaken.

Remember, prevention is the key! 

Our second speaker Eloisa Hu, Lawyer at Wang Jing and GH Law Firm, focused on legal actions EU SMEs can take after falling victim to scams. Depending on the type of fraud, a company can pursue a legal procedure or a civil action against the scammer. However, to avoid any of that, her advice is to perform quality inspections first and respond fast in case of scams to limit the damages.

"Take legal actions as soon as possible to mitigate the damage of the scam." (Eloisa Hu, Lawyer at Wang Jing and GH Law Firm)

Find out more on this topic in the EU SME Centre's article 'Simple steps to minimise risks of being scammed when purchasing from China', available for free download to all registered users. Click here to download the article.