Tonaton.com cautions online traders

Ghanaian online traders have been advised to learn more about safety guidelines before undertaking any business transaction via the internet. According to Mr Kwabena Opoku-Boakye, the Marketing Manager of Tonaton.com, Ghana’s online trading portal, even though the actual trade transaction takes place offline, buyers should take time to read the guidelines which have been posted on a website before making any payment.

Mr Opoku-Boakye’s advice followed the arrest of a 35-year-old man who allegedly used Tonaton.com to defraud prospective car buyers.

The suspect, identified as Henry Palm, who described himself as self-employed and resident of Tema Community 8, was said to have posed as the owner of a Daewoo Matrix car displayed on Tonaton.com for sale.

The suspect was, however, apprehended after the man he defrauded spotted him around North Kaneshie in Accra.

Another was picked up by the Mile Seven Police in Accra after he had used the same online site to sell a stolen car. 

Be Alert

Mr Opoku-Boakye said the growing Internet penetration had opened up the country to new online trading platforms, which had empowered the average Ghanaian to transact various business operations.

Unfortunately, he said, some unscrupulous individuals were using the platform to defraud people of their money.

“Like any discipline, users need to educate themselves on how to stay safe while undertaking any form of transactions online,”he said and added that Tonaton.com had over a dozen employees in its customer support team who manually reviewed all adverts before they were published.

Asked what the management of Tonaton.com was doing to protect the image of their site, he said since the news of the  fraud came to their attention, the company, had been collaborating with the security agencies to apprehend individuals who used the site to defraud people.

“We have information on the Help and Support section on our website which users are encouraged to read to acquaint themselves with the do’s and don’ts,” Mr Opoku-Boakye said.

The Head of Tonaton.com site, Mr Estelle Westling, said the management had set up a special fraud team that reviewed  suspected adverts and took care of customers’ fraud-related complaints.”