'Tis the Season to be Cautious!

As the holiday season approaches, and online shopping increases, so do the risks. It is important to exercise caution when engaging in this activity, as various online scams and fraudulent activities abound. The following are essential safety tips for online shoppers:

  1. Shop on secure websites – Always ensure that the website you are shopping on is secure and has SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption. How can you be sure you’re on a secure website? Look for the padlock symbol in the address bar and check that the web address starts with "https" in the website address (instead of "http”).
  2. Check reviews and ratings – Before making a purchase, research the product and the seller to ensure that they have a good reputation. Check reviews and ratings from other customers to gain a better understanding of the quality of the product and the seller's reliability.
  3. Be cautious of shopping apps – Apps offer convenience, but they can also compromise your private information. For secure shopping experiences, stick to the trusted Apple App Store or Google Play for downloads.
  4. Think before you link – Look out for unbelievable offers and holiday gifts and bonuses. Ads or deals that sound too good to be true, often are. If you’re really tempted, do some research or find out if anyone else has tried to take advantage of the deal before clicking.
  5. Don’t go public – Free hotspots are tempting, but hackers see them as opportunities to steal your information. Avoid logging into sensitive sites such as online banking or Paypal when connected to public networks. For an extra layer of protection, always log out of these sites on your mobile devices before connecting to a public network.
  6. Use a reputable payment gateway – Always use a trusted and well-established payment gateway, such as PayPal or Stripe. This provides an additional layer of security for your financial information.
  7. Check your financial statements regularly – Always monitor your bank and credit card statements regularly to ensure that there are no unauthorized transactions.
  8. Update your software and passwords – we’ve noted this in the past couple of newsletters, but it’s worth noting again. For your protection, it’s important to update your software to ensure the latest security patches, and to use strong passwords to protect your most sensitive information.

Online shopping can be a convenient and enjoyable activity, but it's important to take appropriate measures to protect yourself from online threats. By following these simple online shopping tips, you can shop with confidence and avoid becoming a victim of fraud.