In the past few years, online shopping has grown tremendously due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it convenient to order with a single click and have it delivered the next day. However, this convenience for consumers and benefit for businesses is also good news for fraudsters and cybercriminals. Our personal information can be used by scammers to obtain money or sell our goods that we will not receive. How can you protect yourself? Online shopping can be very risky.
If you follow these simple tips, you can shop online with confidence.
10 Tips for a Safer Online Shopping Experience
Below are 10 tips and tricks for you to follow:
1. Get your computer inoculated
Some swindlers do not simply sit around waiting for you to provide them with information; they sometimes offer you a little something extra to smooth things over. Your antivirus program needs to be updated regularly to protect against malware. Even better, purchase a comprehensive security suite, which will include antivirus software and also fight spam, spear-phishing emails, and phishing attacks from websites (these last two are designed to steal your personal information by simulating a legitimate message or website). Having it installed is not enough. Your antivirus software must be updated regularly. By doing so, they could unintentionally let new threats in.
2. Privatize Your Wi-Fi
Even if it is free, stick with known networks, such as those found at Barnes & Noble and Starbucks. It is always safe to use a VPN. Also, when getting a connection from an internet service provider, make sure to check reviews online for security and safety. Reviews matter a lot. There are plenty of providers that ensure to keep the connection secure while timely catering to customer complaints if any. For instance, Optimum Altice is a good option if you are looking for a secure network. See if it is available in your area. They also have amazing packages. You can also check for other such providers with great customer reviews to save yourself from future mishaps.
Use the phone instead of the card
In brick-and-mortar stores, smartphone payment is fairly standard today, and is even safer than using a credit card. Apple Pay, for instance, generates an authentication code that can be used only once, so any unauthorized person cannot steal it. Additionally, you avoid card skimmers if you stick to places that accept phone-based payments – you do not even have to carry your credit card. But what if you’re shopping online? Apple Pay and Google Pay are now accepted in many phone apps. Your fingerprint, face, or passcode will be sufficient to make it happen immediately.
3. Regularly review your bank statements
Do not wait until the end of the month to pay your bill. You can view your debit card, credit card, and checking account statements online regularly, especially during the holiday season. Watch out for fraudulent charges, even those generated by payment sites like Venmo and PayPal. The truth is, there are several ways to get to your money.
If you want to buy online, you should only use a credit card. Scammers can gain direct access to your bank accounts if your debit card is compromised. It is a big red flag if a seller wants a different method of payment, such as wired money. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, if you are the victim of a scam, you are only liable for $50 in charges made on your credit card that you did not authorize. Even if you are unhappy with a purchase you made, there are still protections.
To solve a problem quickly, call the office if you notice something wrong. Make sure all your charges on your credit card are accurate before you pay the bill. However, after 30 days, you might still be responsible for the charges if you do not contact your bank or card issuer.
4. Mobile first
Mobile devices can be used to shop just as securely as online devices. The retailer’s apps, such as Amazon, Target, or McDonald’s, can be used directly. You can do this without going to the store or website by searching the app for what you want and making the purchase directly.
5. Do not shop in public
Consider shopping from your laptop while out and about. When you are required to enter your credit card number, expiration date, and 3-digit code at the back of the card into a shopping site while sitting in a public cafe, snooping over your shoulder is an easy task. Sit facing the door in the back like a gangster. Do not pull out your credit card for anything more than a latte when you use sites you trust that already have it stored. If possible, shop from home.
6. Verify the seller
Perform your due diligence if you are unsure about a site. You can find a list of scammers on the Better Business Bureau’s website. Reviews of retailers can be found on Yelp and Google. Do not give your credit card number to companies until you have put them through the wringer. It hurts when something goes wrong, financially and emotionally, when delivery/payment are is non-existent.
However, online reviews are gameable. Follow your instincts if there is nothing but positive feedback from writers and you cannot tell whether they are genuine clients.
Even if you do not do anything else, make sure the seller has a working phone number and an address. That way, you can dispute the sale if something goes wrong. If you have any questions after the purchase, you may call them to clarify their return policy.
7. Strengthen your passwords
You should again beat the dead horse about uncrackable passwords if you are going to be like the latter group. The importance of strong passwords is never more apparent than when you bank or shop online. This time of year, when there is probably a lot of online shopping, creating new e-commerce accounts might come in handy to create a unique password.
There is no such thing as a perfect password. It is smarter to use a password manager that creates uncrackable passwords for you. This software keeps track of them and enters them for you automatically. Get help from such tools, most of them do not even charge a penny.
8. Shop from websites you are familiar with
Choose a reputable site to start with. If you skip past the first few pages of links, you may find search results rigged to lead you astray. The probability of the site being a rip-off is lower if you know it. Almost every major retailer, from Target to Best Buy to Home Depot, has an online store. Amazon.com is a great place to get everything; likewise, almost every major retailer has an online store.
You need to be careful about misspellings and sites using a different top-level domain (for example, .net instead of .com). These are the conventional tricks in the book. They look enticing, but you are being tricked into giving your information to these sites.
9. Find the lock
You should never use your credit card for online purchases on a site without SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption. The URL for the site will begin with HTTPS, which is different from HTTP. If the site has SSL, you can tell it by its URL. If you are using a browser with a lock icon, it usually appears below the URL or in the address bar; it depends on your browser. HTTPS is now standard on non-shopping websites as well, so much so that Chrome flags any page without it as “not secure.” This should make a site without it even more distinct.
1. Beware of “too good to be true” offers
Any online store that offers a lot for a little price should be avoided. Check whether the merchant got the items legally if the price is too low. How long it will take you to receive the items you purchased, whether or not they are the brand shown or a cheaper substitute. You should also find out if the merchant would sell your financial information if you are unable to return damaged goods. A disreputable online retailer – just like its brick and mortar counterparts – may offer products at a ridiculously cheap in price rate and then claim that it is out of stock, so you will have to buy something else instead. This is a classic “bait and switch” scam.
Final Words
Are you buying a loved one an internet-enabled device? Check their instructions before buying. Educate recipients on how to set up a strong password, customize privacy and security settings, and deactivate any features they do not need. Do not let them make the mistake of learning the hard way. Follow these tips and let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below. You can also add to the list by giving tips you might have.
Happy Shopping!
