Sharjah: The Ministry of Economy has issued a warning advising consumers not to purchase goods from e-commerce websites that are not approved in the UAE.

“Some shopping websites or so-called e-commerce [firms] are promoting unlicensed herbal substances and cosmetics,” Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, said.

The Ministry of Health has issued several warnings regarding the risks of buying materials not approved by the Consumer Protection Department.

However, some people continue to use unsanctioned shopping websites to buy mostly diet supplements, mobile phones, and other herbal remedies.

Ayman Abu Halaweh, 27, said that he suffered from major side effects after using supplements and herbs for weight loss purchased from a fake online shopping website.

“I didn’t know that I was using a questionable shopping website. It looked way too similar to other legitimate e-commerce websites, with a good HTML template, with all the logos related to payment cards, such as credit cards, and with logos related to [fake] trustworthiness certificates,” Abu Halaweh said.

Abu Halaweh decided not to deal with unknown sites and urged the government to issue a specific law dealing with cyber crimes.

In response to concerns voiced by consumers, the ministry is issuing a consumer safety alert and tips for buyers to avoid purchasing from fake shopping websites.

Al Nuaimi said, “The Ministry of Economy and Consumer Protection Department are working together to raise awareness among UAE residents to avoid becoming a victim of cybercrimes.”

“People shouldn’t rely on fake ads and shopping websites. Unfortunately, internet users may come across websites that claim to have high- quality products when in fact the products are expensive and poor in quality,” he added.

“Thus, online shoppers must keep an eye out for those scams, so they don’t end up wasting their money. They should take a look at websites that have contact information. The site must have a 24-hour customer service number available and an email address,” Al Nuaimi said.

He added that online shoppers must also look at the trust certificate, which is issued by the Ministry of Economy, and the trust certificate will usually be displayed on their site in the form of an image.

 

Nawal Al Ramahi is a trainee at Gulf News.