A group of people has allegedly been posting fake advertisements on Bikroy.com, one of the popular online marketplaces in the country. A recent survey conducted by the website revealed that around 66% of over 200,000 posted advertisements were genuine.
Eshita Sharmin, marketing manager of the website, disclosed the information at a view exchange programme with the members of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh at a city hotel yesterday.
She said the programme was arranged to create mass awareness in this regard and to inform people how Bikroy.com was tackling the situation.
The marketing manager expressed concerns that most of the fake advertisers offer their products at a lower price than usual, adding that in many cases fake sellers had been allegedly hijacking the buyers after calling them to an unknown or remote area.
She urged the visitors of the website to remain alert in this regard. The website has formed an investigation team that has already removed more than 750 fake advertisements in August.
“We want to do everything possible to minimise fraudulent advertisements on our site,” Eshita said.
The survey on randomly selected 500 advertisements found that only 330 were genuine, while some of the advertisers did not respond when the posted numbers were dialled.
Bikroy.com Managing Director Martin Malmstrom was also present at yesterday’s programme. He said: “In order to sell the product fast, pick the right price, use a good picture, and provide a clear title and description that is relevant to buyers.”