Online Shopping Safety Tips Ahead of Christmas Shopping

Christmas shopping online is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. In fact, nearly half (47%) of US online shoppers say they shop primarily online. While convenience and affordability certainly play major roles in driving consumers to purchase goods online, online shopping safety concerns loom large.

A recent survey conducted by CompareCards found that 81% of Americans worry about fraud when purchasing online.

Another study published by the National Retail Federation found that 77% of American adults have shopped online at least once in the past 12 months. With holiday shopping quickly approaching, now is the time to take precautions to ensure you and your personal information remain safe online this year. Below are 10 online shopping safety tips to consider ahead of the Christmas holidays:

1. Use Safe Browsing Technology

When browsing online shopping for Christmas, you might come across malicious websites that try to trick you into clicking links leading to sites that steal your data. To avoid falling prey to cybercriminals, use internet browsers that include anti-malware technology.

Such tools check websites for signs of malware and prevent you from visiting dangerous sites. Popular browser software includes Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Microsoft Edge.

2. Keep Your Personal Information Protected

The majority of Americans admit to sharing sensitive personal information online. According to the Pew Research Center, almost three-quarters (74%) of Internet users share private photos and videos on social media sites. Nearly six in ten (58%) report having posted financial information online and one-third (33%) have shared health care information.

As a result of this trend, identity theft is currently the fastest growing crime in America. Make sure you remain vigilant and always safeguard your personal information. Consider installing free security software on your computer that keeps track of your activity and alerts you whenever hackers attempt to access your accounts.

3. Install an Anti-Malware Program On All Computers

It’s not just individuals who should be concerned about keeping their personal information secure; businesses also need to stay alert.

This includes using the latest IT systems and implementing password management best practices. Scan your computers regularly for viruses with a reputable antivirus program. Install a firewall if possible.

4. Don’t Use Public Wi-Fi

This is one of the online holiday shopping safety tips. Public Wi-Fi is risky. Open hotspots may allow hackers access to your device and network. If you must use public Wi-Fi, ensure it’s secured with WPA or WEP.

Keep yours As devices updated so they can use the latest web browsing software, which will help protect them from Starbucks vulnerabilities.

5. Be Aware of Phishing Attacks

Phishing scams use spoofed emails that pretend to come from a trusted source to steal passwords, credit card numbers, and account information.

These malicious messages look professional and contain authentic logos and contact information. Unfortunately, phishers typically don’t have any intention of helping the victim; they simply want to steal information so they can commit fraud. To guard yourself, be wary of unsolicited emails promising money, prize giveaways, or other valuable items.

Do not click any links in suspicious messages unless you know the sender or trust the website. Remember, too, that many legitimate companies send out email updates periodically that contain useful information. So rather than worrying if you receive a message from a company you haven’t heard of before, learn how to identify spam and respond accordingly.

6. Use Strong Passwords

The single biggest way people give away their personal information is by failing to use complex passwords. While it may seem easier to pick something simple like “123456” or “password”, those choices aren’t going to protect you. Instead, create unique but memorable passwords for each site you visit.

By doing so, you’ll increase your chances of remaining protected. 

7. Beware of Social Engineering Scams

Social engineering is when someone tries to trick another person into giving up private information. Common forms of social engineering include phone calls (both incoming and outgoing), letters/postcards, text messages, emails, e-commerce sites, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites, and even face-to-face interactions.

The goal of social engineering at international shops isn’t necessarily financial gain, although some schemes are designed to take advantage of gullible victims. There are a number of different ways that scammers try to convince others to surrender sensitive data.

Sometimes, it involves outright deception – pretending to be someone else or acting like a representative of a large corporation. Other times, con artists claim to represent a government agency or bank in order to obtain confidential information. Still other approaches involve exploiting human weakness. For instance, scammers may seek to befriend their targets, ask questions about intimate matters, or even threaten physical harm to make others comply with demands.

8. Watch Out For Fake Websites

A fake website is one that looks very much like the real thing, but contains content meant to deceive its visitors. This includes counterfeits of banking institutions, e-commerce sites and christmas gifts online shopping stores, social networking sites, search engines, and various types of malware. Scam sites are generally set up using stolen logins and credit card information, so watch out for these signs:

• Suspiciously high charges for seemingly insignificant purchases, especially if you have no idea where to find the item being purchased.

• International online shop billing statements which show unusually high charges or late fees compared to what is normal for you.

• A URL that doesn’t match the rest of the page – check the address bar at the top and bottom of your browser window. If the URL doesn’t match, there could be a problem.

9. Use Credit Card

While debit cards are convenient at international online stores, most banks offer better protection against fraudulent transactions thanks to the ability to freeze your accounts and report unauthorized spending to the appropriate authorities.

Credit cards provide additional benefits in terms of rewards programs and cash back incentives, but beware of overspending or signing up for unnecessary services. Also, keep an eye on your statements to ensure your payments are correct. You should also regularly review your credit reports for inaccuracies. Make sure all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) are reporting accurate information.

10. Avoid Free Offers

Freebies can seem too good to be true, but sometimes they are…especially when it comes to online scams. It’s always smart to proceed with caution before entering any personal information into a form. And don’t fall victim to pop-up ads or spam emails offering deals on stuff you never ordered.

That said, legitimate companies give away swag from time to time. Don’t hesitate to enter contests or sign up for newsletters if you want special promotions.

Final Words:

These are safety tips for online shopping. The internet has become an increasingly important part of our daily lives, whether we realize it or not. Unfortunately, criminals are taking note as well, and so must we.

While this list only scratches the surface of how to protect yourself from online fraud. Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, phishing attacks, bogus email and scam websites, and more. Of course, it’s important to use common sense when browsing the web, but if you follow these basic principles, you shouldn’t encounter many problems.