Did you know that in 2014, Australian’s spent $16 Billion dollars online? This is an increase of 12% from 2013.
What you might also be interested to know, is that around 1% of those transactions were made on fraudulent or stolen credit cards – that’s $160 Million in lost or unrecoverable revenue!
27% was done on a mobile phone or hand held device and with so many of us being online so often, it’s easy forget that there are in fact some bad guys out there who want to take advantage of your comfort being online.
Below we’ve outlined 7 ways to stay safe when shopping online.
1. Protect Your Credit cards
Make sure when you’re buying online you don’t ever send anyone your credit card details via email.
Many businesses still take bookings and other information via email, which is not only insecure, it’s actually illegal! So never send your credit card number in an email, no matter what the business asks for.
2. Keep Your Computer clean from Malware
Malware is malicious software (Virus, Spyware, Adware Worms…) designed to infiltrate your pc to cause damage or gather information. It is important to know if your antivirus is up to date and your computer is fully protected against these sort of malware.
3. Update Your Passwords
Remember to change your passwords regularly and have different passwords for each of your online accounts. That way if someone works out your password they don’t have access to all your accounts.
4. Set Up A Phone lock
If you do a lot of online purchasing and booking on your phone, remember that if you lose you phone and you don’t have a passcode or fingerprint security, anyone can log into your accounts with just a few taps.
5. Watch Out For Fraudulent Emails
From time to time you may receive emails from “Your Bank” or “PayPal” that are not actually form your bank or PayPal.
These types of email are called Phishing emails and are designed to trick you into clicking a fake link and arriving at a page tat looks just like your bank or PayPal but is actually a different site that captures your login details for someone to use later.
Always look in the address bar of your web browser to make sure that the address you’re logging into is the correct address and hover over links in your email with the mouse to check where the link goes before clicking.
Banks and PayPal will never ask you to log in for no reason so if you get an email telling you to do this ignore it or go to your bank site or PayPal separately to log in not by clicking a link.
6. Research The Company You’re Buying From & Their Products
Do your research and shop around. Search for the business or website name to see if there are any reviews or comments about their products or services.
Only deal with trusted and reliable businesses and sellers. Know whom you are dealing with and check the contact details you have are correct.
Know what you are buying. Read the description of the product carefully and check the size, colour, value and safety of the product.
Read all the fine print including warranty, refund, complaints handling and privacy policies.
Check the currency, postage and handling and other charges – there may be extra charges you are not aware of.
7. How to Stay Safe with Online Auctions
Online auctions can be a lot of fun and can help you find good deals. They also attract scammers. Scammers will often try to get you to deal outside of online auction sites.
Scammers sometimes claim the winner of an auction that you were involved in has pulled out of the sale and may offer the item to you for payment outside the auction site. If you pay, you will never hear from them and the auction site will not be able to help you.
- Always make your transactions within the auction website and avoid private contact with buyers or sellers.
- Keep printed and/or electronic records of all bids, item descriptions, emails to and from the seller, and transaction records or receipts.
- If the website uses a feedback rating system, check comments left by previous buyers and sellers.
- Read the terms and conditions before using an online auction site or entering into any contracts.
How do you know if a site is safe? Look for these things!
Look for the padlock
If a site is secure for purchasing online, you will see a little padlock in the address bar. This means the site is encrypted – meaning your Credit card and personal details are turned into code that no one can read to be sent off to the payment gateway.
Look for https
Usually found alongside the padlock icon is https:// this is similar to a normal website with the addition of the ”S” for secure on the end of the http. This is another sign that the website is safe. Many internet browsers show these addresses as green to help you see them.
Look for security logos
There are companies out that that prove a site has been tested and is monitored and secure. Companies such as VeriSign, Commodo Secure, MacAfee Secure, are signs that a site is safe, just make sure to click the link to make sure it shows you a secure certificate for the site and the website hasn’t just copied the image that clicks to no where.
Conclusion
Always remember, just be sensible. If a Ugandan prince asks you for your bank account details so they can deposit $2Million dollar into your account because you’re “a lucky winner” then you should probably ignore it.
If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
By following these internet security tips you should have a safe and enjoyable time surfing and buying from the internet. Always double check and keep your information safe.
Sources:
https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/03/28/online-fraud-costs-e-retailers-35-billion-2012
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-03/online-retail-growth-slows-in-some-areas/5939090
http://www.statista.com/statistics/247195/percentage-of-mobile-black-friday-sales/
http://www.lymeinfo.net/malware.html
http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/buying_and_selling
