Electronic commerce (as a field of activity) is constantly growing and developing, offering an increasing range of services to a simple buyer. If earlier, in order to order some goods from the Internet, we had to carry out some complex currency exchange operations and wait for a courier for a couple of days, today it is still easier than in real stores. The abundance of payment systems and the efficiency of couriers create the appearance that any online store is closer than we could imagine. Therefore, the user has a real incentive to use his services.
Products online
What exactly do we buy online? It used to be that people were afraid to make expensive purchases, to some extent they were afraid to transfer their money virtually; especially those whom they do not see and do not know personally. However, as Internet technologies became popular, online selling only expanded as a sphere, and became for many a real place to buy cheaper goods.
Indeed, the prices in the online store may indeed be lower than in real shopping centers. Howat least, this can be explained by the fact that organizing your own website, promoting it and renting a small warehouse on the outskirts of the city will cost much less than opening your own retail space in some popular shopping center. Based on this logic, one can explain the availability of a particular type of product.
Online Fraud
Together with the knowledge that buying on the Internet is profitable and convenient, we also have an understanding of the high chance of being deceived. This is especially true when you are dealing with unverified sellers that you hear about for the first time. In this case, if you work with those, you need to be extremely careful. Otherwise, you can become a victim of a scam. At one time, the Smartphone 44 online store acted dishonestly with customers. We will present customer reviews about it in this article (a little further), and let's start with a little background on the activities of this site and why it became so famous.
About prices
So, the story should start with the fact that very often users are “led” to a lower price, without thinking about whether the seller is really able to offer them such a price. This can be explained by the example of a specific phone - the well-known iPhone 5S.
The "Smartphone 44" store (which, by the way, continues to work on another domain) offers to buy this device for 25 thousand rubles. If we look for suchmodel with identical characteristics (memory capacity is 64 GB) on other sites, we will see a huge difference. In Svyaznoy, for example, the price is set at 43,000 rubles. In another large store - the Euroset network, the same model will cost you a little cheaper - 38 thousand. The difference is 5 thousand rubles between the two mentioned “giants of the market”, while Smartphone 44, an online store, offers goods 12 thousand cheaper! How can this be?
Preparing the site
In fact, the administrators of "Smartphone 44" prepared quite carefully. As buyers' comments show, a trading company was registered specifically to work with customers. She had her own director, whose contact details are already on the network, as well as some office hidden from ordinary buyers.
It should be noted that the online store "Smartphone 44" (we will definitely publish reviews about it) was specially created to deceive customers. In particular, we can draw conclusions from the fact that all models in their catalog have a clearly underestimated cost, which in reality the seller could not provide in any way. Our iPhone 5S example is just one of hundreds of models that this “store” allegedly sold. However, as you may have guessed, there was actually no product. As customer reviews describing the Smartphone 44 service show, they simply took money from them, promised to provide the goods, after which the store ceased operations. Obviously, the users were simply “thrown”.
Number of victims
Amazing in this situation is another fact. There is nothing surprising about cheating on the Internet - the scheme to collect money for a non-existent product has been operating for a very long time and on a large scale. Users, to the extent of their gullibility, can transfer funds to their counterparties without additional verification of the latter. The results are easy to guess.
So, "Smartphone 44" worked on the same principle. The only difference is that here we are not talking about one or two thousand rubles that accidentally ended up in the pocket of a scammer - but about a massive fraud that applies to hundreds of buyers across the country. Each of them paid at least 5 thousand for their phone (although in the reviews we also saw comments from those who ordered more expensive Apple equipment). It is difficult to imagine how much the swindler who organized such a case ultimately earned.
Deception scheme
There is not much to talk about how the process of receiving money from clients was organized. The whole scam rested solely on the desire of users to save a few extra thousand rubles. They went to the Smartphone 44 website (the online store was previously available at the address in the “.ru” zone, later moved to a domain name in the “.com” zone), chose the desired mobile phone, and then placed an order. The site (even on the version that continues to operate) indicates that the company provides free delivery of its mobile equipmentin Russia, because of which the buyer had an additional incentive to apply here. After the order was placed, the client paid for it using one of the electronic systems and waited.
Of course, at the same time, the user received various notifications in the mail that his order was almost ready, that the desired mobile device would be delivered in the near future, and it was not long to wait. In the end, people waited more than one month until they started to do something. Until that time, the Smartphone 44 online store (reviews are proof of this) deceived several hundred more customers in the same way.
Countermechanism
Each of those who transferred their money to the accounts indicated on the Smartphone 44 website (an online store in Moscow that deceives its customers) understands that they were deceived and forced to pay money for the appearance of the service, although it was not presented. However, it is extremely difficult to actually do anything in this situation. Let's start by looking for a scammer.
As the customer reviews describing the Smartphone 44 scam show, the company that managed the store is called TorgInvest LLC. It was founded by a certain Mr. Kramer Alexander Voldemarovich, who, of course, no one can find now. He, in parallel, according to reviews, is also the founder of a number of other firms, probably working on the same scheme. It is obvious that a person knows how to deceive people and getmaximum profit by dishonest means.
Finding this person is not easy. At the address at which the company is legally registered, it has long been gone - and no one knows anything about the existence of such. There is no other information about the whereabouts of the fraudster, because he already knows that they will be looking for him, so he took all measures to “obfuscate the traces”. Also, given the amount of money that was stolen, it is possible that he simply fled to another country. Whether it will be possible to get it from there is very difficult to say.
Refund
In addition to finding the person who deceived his clients on such a large scale, everyone is also interested in the possibility of finding these funds and returning at least some of them. But this is already extremely difficult to do.
Even if we imagine a situation in which the founder of the company was caught and imprisoned (which we all have serious doubts about), we have no guarantee that he will part with his money in such a voluntary manner. He could hide them both physically and transfer them to an account in some foreign bank, so we will not be able to take real action.
The same is claimed by the police. Having identified the identity of the criminal, it will be extremely difficult to get him to return the money to the victims.
Real steps
What is the really right thing to do for those who have fallen victim to all this deception? First of all, contact law enforcement agencies with the appropriate statement. Whatever happens - thererespond to your request, and, in the event that a crime really took place, competent specialists will deal with the problem. In the case of our "Smartphone 44", the reviews indicate that the search for the criminal is carried out by the so-called "department K", which specializes specifically in Internet fraud and some kind of online violations.
Those who can actually track down the place from where the criminal entered the network when corresponding with clients work in this structure, find information about the company's website, as well as about the company itself, which was registered to work with clients. This and other data collected during the investigation will help to establish more information about the identity of the perpetrator and, possibly, bring the situation closer to resolution. At least, as customer reviews testify about the Smartphone 44 online store, they really hope to win. Although the odds honestly seem pretty low.
Reviews
So, in general, we have presented the information about the comments left about the store above. It should also be added that the reviews about the store that characterize "Smartphone 44" are (for the most part) the same. On one of the sites with recommendations, they are left in the amount of more than 250 pieces. Imagine how many people have been scammed!
So, analyzing the comments, we can say that they all have a similar structure and the same type. They are all united by the fact that people know how the Smartphone 44 online store actually works. Store reviews list device models thatthe client ordered and the amount by which he was deceived. Comrades in misfortune are trying to help each other. Many are asking for help in filing a complaint with the prosecutor's office and the police for a more effective investigation of the Smartphone 44 service case. Reviews about the store also describe the resentment of people who have the misfortune to contact him.
Also, reading the comments, one can draw conclusions about who are all these people who have lost considerable sums on their own naivety. As you might guess, these are not the richest miles of the population, buying equipment for 7-10 thousand rubles. Naturally, this does not include those who ordered the iPhone.
It is also striking how widely "Smartfon 44" (online store) conducted its activities. The reviews we looked at were from people in cities across the country.
Customers approached the store from all over the Russian Federation, sending money to a Moscow scammer. From advertising, they learned that there is a certain "Smartphone 44" (online store). Ryazan, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and a number of other cities - those who were deceived by the company and lured out of money for a cheaper, but non-existent gadget live here. Therefore, it is not surprising that complaints to law enforcement agencies were received (and probably continue to be received) throughout Russia. This was supposed to be a signal to the organizer of the site himself that he should hide somewhere. In the meantime, all this time another analogue of "Smartphone 44" has been operating - an online store in St. Petersburg, MSK, EKB, and so on, presented throughout Russia. shortageshe does not test orders.
For the future
No matter how bad the creator of this whole “store” did, there is a share of guilt in the actions of each buyer. Customers who placed orders and sent money to God knows where did not take enough precautions when they made a purchase. At the very least, they didn't look at the company's contacts.
Each online store that can actually offer you a real product or service has its own registration address - the place where you can usually find it. It can be a simple apartment, a business center, some kind of detached house. However, in any case, each structure must indicate its contacts before offering you to buy a new smartphone. This is a guarantee that they really exist and are ready to meet with you at any moment. Pay attention to the address every time you make a purchase.
The second nuance is the reviews. On the Internet, information that the store is delaying the dispatch of goods should be at least from the first real customers. Accordingly, all subsequent users could find this information, analyze it and think about whether they should buy a phone here. Probably the most comfortable and reliable way would be to order on the website of proven large chains, albeit for several thousand more.
The address and reviews, of course, can somehow be hidden and shown in a more favorable light (the one that the scammers themselves need), however, there is another important point that buyers have not paid attention to - an alternative to delivery.
Imagine a major online retailer banning cash and moving exclusively to prepaid and shipping. This would be a stupid move for both the company and its customers. Therefore, all firms engaged in trade have such an option as "Pickup". This means that you will come to the warehouse/office on your own and pick up what you are interested in. If you notice that this option is not provided for by the rules of the store, be careful. Perhaps these are scammers who simply do not want to contact you personally.
Finally, another recommendation that I would like to give to prevent unpleasant stories in the future is to work with reliable and proven sites. Any new resource can turn out to be fraudulent: we can only find out after we have paid the money. To prevent this from happening, find out more information about the resource. Look for the opinions of people who have bought there; look for news about the store, videos and photos of goods purchased by other people - and then you will add up a complete impression of the resource for yourself. Good luck - be careful with your next purchase!
