5 Essential Steps to Safe Online Shopping During the Holidays

How do you protect yourself from online fraud and shop safely?

As the holiday season arrives I’m sure you are looking forward to sitting in your pajamas while doing your holiday shopping. While technology has made it easier for you to get things done it has also has its own share of issues. Now more than ever you need to guard yourself against online thieves who want to steal your hard-earned money or worse yet your life. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you can take to protect yourself while shopping online. Here are the must do’s:

1. There are tons of websites out there asking you to hand over your credit card and personal information. One thing you must do this holiday is to make sure you are buying from secure, trusted and reputable sites.  Panda Security – one of the most popular antivirus providers—stated that you should check whether the URL of the web site matches your intended destination and that its address begins with “https://”. This way you know that the website is secure.

2. Another tip that Panda recommends as a guard against cybercriminals is to avoid clicking links in emails and in ads that pop up on your computer screen. They use the promise of big deals to lure you to these fake sites. From there you enter your credit card information and they begin shopping at your expense.

3. We all love free Wi-Fi! However when shopping online we should avoid them. US News in their article about online fraud said that public Wi-Fi networks are not secure, so anyone could potentially see the data being transmitted over them. While it is ok to share your pictures on Instagram and check your Facebook account, experts suggest not doing business transactions such as logging into your bank account while using a public Wi-Fi hot spot.

4. Companies are legally obligated to provide the merchandise you order online and pay for, says US News, so if you notice an item you bought online has not arrived, PROTEST! PROTEST! PROTEST! Some retailers might attempt to take advantage of the season to gain cash from buyers who make purchases that don’t arrive. If your item hasn’t been delivered, have your credit card company freeze the payment until your package arrives.

5. One of the most important things to always do is to keep a constant check on your finances. Reader’s Digest suggests that you monitor your bank and credit card accounts weekly and sign up for alerts to be sent to your mobile phone or e-mail. This allows you to keep a close eye on your credit so you can spot any unauthorized activity.

To recap, these tips are some basic steps to protect you online while shopping: 1) Shop on a reputable website, 2) don’t open suspect e-mails and pop-ups,  3) avoid using public Wi-Fi hotspots while shopping, 4) hold online stores accountable until you get your items, and 5) keep an eye on your finances. The holidays are a time to spend with the family, buying them gifts and witnessing the look of appreciation on their faces as they receive them. Make sure that while you’re keeping yourself physically safe, you’re also keeping yourself safe online.