Kerala Police Cautions Shoppers Against Fake Flipkart GOAT Sale Scams

The Kerala Police has issued an advisory about a new online shopping scam in which scammers are using the name of Flipkart’s GOAT Sale to cheat customers.

According to the police, several fake Facebook pages have been created to look like official Flipkart pages. These pages use names, such as “Flipkart GOAT SALE”, “Goat Sale Live”, “Offers Sale” and “FK Goats Offer's”. They advertise mobile phones, laptops and other electronic items at prices that are much lower than usual to attract people’s attention.

People who click on these advertisements are taken either to fake websites that closely resemble Flipkart’s official site or to WhatsApp numbers where the scammers continue the conversation.

Customers Asked To Pay Money Upfront

The police have said that scammers tell buyers that stocks are limited or that the sale will end soon. They then ask them to pay booking charges, advance amounts, delivery fees or offer confirmation charges to secure the deal.

Once the money is transferred, the promised products are never delivered in many cases. Some victims are asked to pay more money, while others find that the sellers can no longer be contacted.

The police have said that offers for costly products at prices that seem too good to be true should be treated with caution, as they are often used to trap buyers.

Check Offers Only On Official Platforms

The police have advised people to verify every sale offer through Flipkart’s official website or mobile application before making any payment. They also asked shoppers not to trust shopping links shared through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram or other social media platforms without checking whether they are genuine.

The police have also cautioned people against sending money to unknown bank accounts or Unified Payments Interface (UPI) IDs. They have also been advised against sharing confidential details, such as OTPs, bank account information, debit or credit card numbers, CVV or PIN with anyone.

Anyone who has lost money in an online scam should report it without delay by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or by filing a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Reporting the incident quickly can help agencies start the investigation sooner and may help prevent further financial loss.