The holidays are the most vulnerable times for online shoppers as it is the prime time for fraudsters, scammers and hackers to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers.
To stay safe while making purchases online, follow these simple steps:
- Check your devices:
- Before making online purchase, ensure the device you are using to shop online is up to date i.e. your browser/appsand operating system.
- If you purchase an internet-connected device, change the default password to a different password as soon as you receive your purchased device.
- Check the purchased device’s privacy and security settings to make sure you understand how your information will be used and stored.
- Do your shopping via trusted sources:
- When you are making an online purchase, verify that you are on the legitimate website before supplying any personal information online. You can do so by checking the address bar.
- Don’t connect to public Wi-Fi networks to make an online purchase because they are not secure. Somebody could be recording your activity and information.
- Use the official retailer's app to shop online if you prefer to make purchases on your mobile device.
- Don’t click on links from spam or phishing emails. If you’re unsure if an email is legitimate, type the website address of the retailer into your web browser.
- Never provide your password, or personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited email no matter how enticing the offer is.
- Use safe methods for online purchases:
- Make purchases using your credit card as opposed to debit card. Credit cards can limit your liability for fraudulent charges, because you can get transactions reversed, but debit cards do not offer the same protection and in fact expose you to more risk because a criminal has access to your entire bank account if they have your debit card information. Alternatively, you can use prepaid debit cards because the money is not connected to your bank account.
- Keep an eye on your credit and bank statements for any fraudulent charges. Keep a record of your online transactions and hold onto your receipts.
- Ensure you do not share more information than necessary with any retail store when making your online purchase.
Remember the best defense against these online threats is awareness on the part of the customer.
Reference: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2019/11/26/holiday-online-shopping-safety-cisa