We all know that the sale craze is in the air, as everywhere you will see just the Black Friday sales. This is one of the most fun times for everyone as they can make the most from these sales. The same goes for the scammers; this is a wonderful time for them to scam people and get their money.
According to the FBI statistics, it is seen that during these sales and festive times when people are shopping for gifts and presents, the online crime rate increases drastically. If you want to know how you can save yourself from this fraud, then this article will provide you with all the information and safety tips for making your online shopping safe. So, let's jump right into the article.
How to Shop Online Safely?
While shopping online, there can be incidents when you open some unknown website that can infect your device and cause viruses in your computers and phones. This is why while doing online shopping, you need to figure out safe ways through which you can do online shopping.
Mentioned below are some of the tips that can help you with safe online shopping and make the entire process more fun.
Look for the Lock:
If you are unsure of the website you are going to browse and shop from, then look for the lock. This means looking at the address bar and seeing if there is a lock symbol present or not. If there is no lock on the browser address bar, then the website is not secure, and you should be leaving the site instantly.
Another way to ensure that the website is SSL is to look at the URL. If there is https:// mentioned in the URL, then this means that it is safe to browse, and you can easily do shopping on that website.
Go for the Trusted Retailers:
Another thing you can do when you are shopping online is stick to trusted retailers. Make sure you do your research about the shop and the retailers before making an online purchase. It is also suggested that you shop from websites and brands that you have already shopped from to ensure that there won't be any fraud happening to you.
Skip Using Debit Card:
No one wants to see a message on their phone saying that your bank has been emptied. This can be a nightmare for people; however, a lot of people have faced this problem. This is why, when doing online shopping, it is suggested to skip using the debit card.
The debit card is directly linked to the bank account; therefore, in case of identity theft, it becomes straightforward for scammers to gain access to your account. This is why, while doing online shopping, you should use a credit card from PayPal.
Lie or Omit Adding Personal Information:
Some retailers might ask for personal information when it comes to online shopping. However, that is not always the right thing and can be a red flag for online shoppers. This is why there is no need to add your birth date, Social Security number, and other information. Even if you want to add it, then opt for lying instead of adding the correct information.
Don't Use Public Wi-Fi:
Public Wi-Fi is one of the biggest threats when it comes to online shopping, and it makes your devices accessible to scammers very quickly. If you are doing online shopping on public Wi-Fi, then it would be best to use VPN with it. If you can't use a VPN, then avoid doing online shopping in places such as hotels, cafes, and restaurants and just go home and then do it.
Update Your Software:
When your software is not updated, the security system of your devices is very low, allowing scammers and malware to infect your devices. This is why whenever there is a new update, make sure you are updating the computers and phones. The software updates have new security features that will help you keep your devices protected from such attacks.
It might be a little annoying for you to wait while the device is being updated, but trust us, the benefits you will get are worth the wait. Therefore, make sure you check the updates frequently and keep the software up to the mark.
Make Strong Passwords:
There are a lot of online retailers and shops where you have to create an account. In such cases, it is always suggested to beef up the password and make the most unique and robust passwords. If you have predictable passwords, then it will make it very easy for hackers to get into your accounts and steal important information. So take some extra time, use online password generators, and make strong passwords for the accounts.
Don't Click the Links:
We all know that there are sneaky links that keep popping on the screen and have the most tempting deals. Even though these deals might bring water to your mouth, it would be best to stop yourself from clicking on them. In a lot of cases, these links are the way for scammers and hackers to make their way into your devices and get all the information that they need. This is why never click those unknown links that come up on the screen.
Use Security Apps:
Another thing that you can do for safe online shopping is install security apps on your devices. They will create a second layer of protection and will keep all the unwanted viruses and scammers out of the system. They will be the perfect antivirus software that will prevent you from worrying about cyber attacks, and you can easily do your shopping.
Final Words:
Shopping is all fun until you find a virus on your device or a scammer hacking your device and stealing all the information. It is widespread nowadays for scammers to scam people while they are shopping online. Hence, we hope this article was beneficial for you in learning how to keep yourself safe and enjoy your online shopping.
