Who doesn’t like shopping, right? The bargains
are there. Huge selections, secure shopping from
the comfort of your home, shipping is fast and
easy.
But, then there are the bad guys! The FBI's
Internet Crime Complaint Center says the
number
one cybercrime of 2017
was related to online
shopping: non-payment for or non-deliver of goods
purchased. Phishing was third, but it was at an
all-time high during Q2 2018, according to the
APWG's Phishing Activity Trends Report.
A recent survey asked if people had experienced a
cyber attack like malware, credit card fraud, or
ransomware—a full 25 percent said they had.
Stay calm. While somewhat alarming, these stats
should not keep you from shopping online. You
simply need to use some common sense and follow
practical advice. Here are basic guidelines; use
them and you can shop with confidence as you check
off items on that holiday shopping list.
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Use Familiar Websites
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Start at a trusted site. Search results can be
rigged to lead you astray, especially when you
drift past the first few pages of links. If you
know the site, chances are it's less likely to be
a rip-off.
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We all know Amazon.com carries everything under
the sun; likewise, just about every major retail
outlet has an online store, from Target to Best
Buy to Home Depot. Beware of misspellings or sites
using a different top-level domain (.net instead
of .com, for example)—those are the oldest
tricks in the book. Yes, sales on these sites
might look enticing, but that's how they trick you
into giving up your info
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Look for the Lock
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Never ever, ever buy anything online using your
credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL
(secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at
the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL
because the URL for the site will start with
HTTPS—instead of just HTTP. An icon of a locked
padlock () will appear, typically to the left of
the URL in the address bar or the status bar down
below; it depends on your browser.
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HTTPS is pretty standard now even on non-shopping
sites, enough that Google Chrome
flags any page
without the extra S as "not secure." So a site
without it should stand out even more.
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Don't Overshare
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No online shopping e-tailer needs your Social
Security number or your birthday to do business.
However, if crooks get them and your credit card
number, they can do a lot of damage. The more
scammers know, the easier it is to steal your
identity. When possible, default to giving up as
little personal data as possible. Even major sites
get breached.
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Check Statements Regularly
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Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the
month. Go online regularly during the holiday
season and look at electronic statements for your
credit card, debit card, and checking accounts.
Look for any fraudulent charges, even originating
from payment sites like PayPal and Venmo. (After
all, there's more than one way to get to your
money.)
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Speaking of, you should definitely only buy online
with a credit card. If your debit card is
compromised, scammers have direct access to your
bank funds. Any seller that wants a different kind
of payment, like wired money, is a big red flag.
The Fair Credit Billing Act ensures that if you
get scammed, you are only responsible for up to
$50 of charges you didn't authorize. There are
protections even if you're not happy with a
purchase you did make.
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If you see something wrong, pick up the phone to
address the matter quickly. In the case of credit
cards, pay the bill only when you know all your
charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify
the bank or card issuer of problems, however;
after that, you might be liable for the charges
anyway.
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Inoculate Your Computer
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Swindlers don't sit around waiting for you to give
them data; sometimes they give you a little
something extra to help things along. You need to
protect against malware with regular updates to
your anti-virus program.
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Better yet, pay for a full-blown security suite,
which will have antivirus software, but also will
fight spam, spear-phishing emails, and phishing
attacks from websites (the latter two try and
still your personal info by mimicking a message or
site that looks legit).
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Remember, it's not enough to just have it
installed. Make sure your anti-malware tools are
always up to date. Otherwise, they can let in any
new threats—and there are always new threats.
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Create Strong Passwords
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Most people never change their passwords until
they are breached. It is important to create
uncrackable passwords. Create one that is unique
utilizing capitalization, numbers, letters and
symbols.
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But even your perfect password isn't perfect. The
smarter move: use a
password manager to create
virtually uncrackable passwords for you. It'll
also keep track of them and enter them, so you
don't have to think about it
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Skip the Card, Use the Phone
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Paying for items using your smartphone is pretty
standard these days in brick-and-mortar stores,
and is actually even more secure than using your
credit card. Using a mobile payment app generates
a one-use authentication code for the purchase
that no one else could ever steal and use. Plus,
you're avoiding card skimmers—heck, you don't
even need to take your credit card with you if you
only go places where you can see the mobile app
symbol. How does that matter if you're online
shopping? Many an online stores will now accept
payment using mobile apps.
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Count the Cards
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Gift cards are the most requested holiday gift
every year. Stick to the source when you buy one;
scammers like to auction off gift cards on sites
like eBay with little or no funds on them. Plus
there are many gift card "exchanges" out there
that are a great idea—letting you trade away
cards you don't want for the cards that you
do—but you can't trust everyone else using such
a service. You might get the card—and it's
already been used. Make sure the site you're using
has a rock-solid and clear-as-crystal guarantee
policy in place. Better yet, just go directly to a
retail brick-and-mortar store to get the physical
card.
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Count the Cards
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If you're wary of a site, perform your
due-diligence. The Better Business Bureau has an
online directory and a scam tracker. Yelp and
Google are full of retailer reviews. Put companies
through the ringer before you plunk down your
credit card number. There's a reason that
non-delivery/non-payment is the most common cyber
crime complaint these days: it hurts when that
happens, financially and emotionally.
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That said—online reviews can also be gamed. If
you see nothing but positive feedback and can't
tell if the writers are legitimate customers,
follow your instincts.
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If nothing else, make absolutely sure you've got a
concrete address and a working phone number for
the seller. If things go bad, you have a place to
take your complaint. In fact, call them before you
order so you can clarify a return policy and where
to go with any issues after the purchase.
The bottom line is this…Shopping on-line can be
safe and easy. Be sure to verify the companies
that you are doing business with. Make sure that
you have an address and phone number should you
need to contact the company. Make sure that the
sites are secure with HTTPS instead of http.
Never give out your Social Security Number. Use a
Credit Card instead of a Debit Card to shop.
Check your bank statements frequently. Check your
credit card bill thoroughly. More and more
businesses are accepting mobile pay apps which you
can securely set up on your phone. This may be a
safer and easier route for you!