8 Tips on How to Stay Safe When Shopping Online
Online shopping has gained widespread popularity in recent years. It is seen as a convenient way that saves time and effort and gives greater choice for people. Needless to say, this has caught the attention of cybercriminals who take advantage of the opportunity.
With that in mind, we have put together eight top tips on how to stay safe when shopping online.
1. Protect your computer and phone
A good antivirus software with a firewall feature is critical for keeping your computer safe. Also, make sure you have the latest version of your antivirus software, operating system and web browsers.
2. Conduct research
Shop at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. If you use smaller merchants, check their credibility and rates on external websites. No or only few positive comments should be a warning. Pay attention whether the merchant provided its address and phone number.
3. Check if your connection is secure
Check if the URL of the website begins with "https" instead of "http" and look for a padlock icon in the address bar, which indicates the site is more secure and makes it harder for a fraudster to view the information you type. You can click on the padlock icon in the address bar and a pop-up will appear, displaying security certificate information and other significant security details. Most modern browsers display a green lock to indicate a secure connection between your browser and the site you are visiting.
4. Be careful when clicking on links in emails
Look for any typos, changed order of letters in words or combination of two letters that together look like other letter, e.g. "r"+"n" put next to each other look like "m". Do not open any attachment or link if you are not sure it is from trusted source. If you have any doubts of the site is legitimate, please check with the merchant before you click on the attachment or link.
5. Check available payment methods
Offering only one payment method by a merchant should raise your suspicion. Trusted online merchants offer a minimum of a few online payment methods. Once you finish your shopping, you are asked to select a payment method. If you choose to pay using the transactional platform of your bank, you will be taken to your bank's website and asked to log on into your account and authenticate to make the payment. Make sure you have been directed to your bank's real page.
6. Unusual delivery options
If a merchant asks you to pay for the delivery yourself, it should raise your suspicion. Trusted online merchants arrange the delivery on their own and include the delivery cost in the final bill.
7. Save the copy of your orders
It's always a good idea to keep documentation of your online purchases for any potential return.
8. Once you finished your shopping, sign out
After your shopping is complete, sign out to prevent other persons from unauthorized access to your account or cards.