New Year trees with a catch: police warn Kazakhstanis
Tengrinews.kz – Police have urged Kazakhstanis to be cautious when buying New Year trees online. Ahead of the holidays, cases of fraud have become more frequent, with buyers losing money after transferring advance payments for goods.
How the scheme works
According to the Interior Ministry, advertisements offering Christmas trees at suspiciously low prices are increasingly appearing on social media and online marketplaces. Scammers use attractive photos and phrases such as “last item” or “urgent”, pressuring buyers to transfer money as quickly as possible.
After receiving the advance payment, the pages of such “sellers” disappear, and all contact is cut off. As a result, people are left without both the product and their money.
Police recommendations
Law enforcement agencies advise against purchasing Christmas trees from unknown or recently created accounts and warn against transferring advance payments, especially to personal bank cards.
They also recommend carefully checking reviews, publication history and the page’s registration date, as well as clarifying whether the seller has a real address and contact phone number.
Extra caution is advised when prices are unusually low or when a seller rushes the buyer to make a payment. If there are any doubts, police recommend refusing the purchase altogether.
Police reminded the public that scammers actively exploit pre-holiday rush and people’s desire to save money.