Black Friday and Cyber Monday will soon unleash the festive shopping season. It’s also the season to be cyber-savvy when shopping online and being aware of potential cyber scams. Cyber security experts, GoldPhish shares six essential tips everyone needs to remember before clicking ‘add to cart.’
It’s not just the e-tailers and customers that are getting ready for the traditional end of year shopping bonanza, the scammers and fraudsters intend to get in on the action too. “We have to be on the lookout for dodgy deals and be smart when it comes to prices that seem ‘too good to be true’. Unfortunately, more online shopping activity means more opportunities for cybercrimes to take place,” explains Cyber security expert and GoldPhish CEO, Dan Thornton.
Here are six pitfalls to help you avoid shopping scams this holiday season:
1. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is – Of course, Black Friday is all about discounts you can’t get at any time of the year, but don’t let that cloud your common sense. If you’re unsure about a link or a voucher, or a price just seems too low, head over to the retailer’s site directly – if the deal is legitimate, it will be there.
2. Don’t give out any of your personal information – Legitimate companies will never ask for you to share your bank details or passwords via text messages. If they’re an online retailer, they will be aware of the prevalence of scams and will confidently provide you with proof of their legitimacy.
3. Treat social media marketplaces with extreme caution – If you’re considering purchasing a product from a social media profile page, check how long the business has been around, how many followers it has, and whether the customer reviews come from real accounts.
4. Only sign off on secure payments – When entering your details into a website, make sure there is a little padlock symbol in the address bar. In addition, always check that the URL from the site you’re inputting details into begins with https:// as this signals that your data will be encrypted.
5. Only use credit cards – it is a lot easier for your bank to refund you if you’ve been scammed and you used a credit card to make the transaction. Transferring money directly from your account or using a debit card can make the refund process much more difficult.
6. If you’ve been scammed, react immediately – Your top priority is to contact your bank. Your credit cards must be replaced, and you must change your security details on your bank accounts. In addition, you need to be quick about resetting passwords and maximising the security settings on your online shopping accounts.
