The e-commerce scene has seen massive growth since 2020 and understandably so: it is convenient. Why go out to shop for things, when you can do it in the safety of your home? However, it is important to note that Interpol has discovered an increase in cybercrime in 2020 and we can assume the threat level is just as high today.
With the internet a treasure trove of data -- your data -- online shopping can be as dangerous as going to the mall: Stolen credit or debit card numbers, scams, and even identity theft, just to name a few things that can give you serious headaches. So here are a few things to practice to stay protected online.
Read the item and its description carefully
Pictures can be very misleading. If you’re planning to buy, for instance, a green screen, you will be shown a picture of one that is probably larger than you. But when the item arrives, it’s no bigger than a toddler. To avoid this, read the description carefully to see its size and if there are options to choose from. From my experience, some of the sellers do try to provide all the information on the product page; but sometimes small details can still be missed.
Know the merchant
Scammers will try to look legitimate to trick people. Because of this, it’s important to know the merchants before buying anything from them. One simple way is to go through their comments section or customer reviews to see other people’s experiences. It wouldn’t hurt if you do an online search of the merchant: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, website. You can also contact them to confirm if they are legitimate. In the end, it’s how you, as a customer, will feel after everything you’ve researched if they are genuine.
Be sketchy of ads
Be careful when seeing ads that might spark your interest, especially when they seem “too good to be true.” Clicking at these ads might lead you to a website that would infect your computer with malware. The safest route when you see an interesting ad is to just go directly to the brand’s website and find out more from there.
Check the Padlock
If you take your shopping outside a known platform, and you’re using your computer, right beside the URL will be a padlock icon. If there is one, it means that the website is secure and encrypted, protecting your data. This is especially important when you are going to input your credit card number on the website itself. Without the padlock, you will be told the website is “Not secure” and this could mean hackers can easily obtain your data.
Double check website names
Again, scammers will try to look legitimate. They can create a fake Facebook page with the URL name “Fiacebook” or “Amzon” or “shoppee” (see how “shoppee” here has two Ps instead of one?) The scammers who put up these fake websites will try to get your login credentials, where they can have full access to your account, see your name, home address, previous purchases, and debit card number. It’s probably worth going the extra mile here by using a different email to set up your login.
Be Careful with what you Share
An online retailer would only need copies of your payment slip, contact number, and the address where the item should be shipped. Be overly cautious when a retailer begins asking for other information, especially if it involves birthdates and ID numbers.
Payment Options
The safest and probably still the most common practice payment method when online shopping is the famous COD or Cash-On-Delivery. Between debit card and credit card, the latter is safer, because depending on the bank, there are policies where you can have the purchases reversed. While in the case of debit cards, the hackers have direct access to your money. It’s important to monitor your bank and credit for any unusual activities. Mobile wallets such as PayMaya, GCash, and GrabPay are excellent options when online shopping. You can load any of these mobile wallets with a certain amount that wouldn’t hurt you.
Get an antivirus program
There is a host of free antivirus programs out there from reputable brands such as Bitdefender and Kaspersky. It’s also important to make sure they’re updated. At least this way, your computer has some layers of protection. Though it’s recommended to purchase an entire internet security software, not only does it have antivirus, but it also has features that protects your computer from malicious emails and phishing attempts.
Avoid public Wi-Fi
In the past we have had our fair share of interviews of people showing the TechNews team how easy it was to create a fake Wi-Fi hotspot and use it in public for people to input their account. We still do not recommend using public Wi-Fi in most cases, especially using it for online shopping. You don’t know who could be snooping into your device.
Multi-factor authentication
Almost every major website will have multi-factor authentication. We always recommend turning them on, as this adds a good layer of protection for your data. This also informs you if someone is trying to access your account.