(online) Shopping or Scam?
What is online shopping?
According to the dictionary it is the action or activity of buying goods or services over the internet, in simpler terms it is shopping through your everyday phone screen.
Current problems in Online shopping
The amount of online buying has greatly increased in recent years. In order to stay competitive and take a piece of the online market, major e-tailers now give customers additional choices and product selections, while brick and mortar retailers also provide their own online incentives. In addition, many people who formerly bought things from nearby retailers have started buying online as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. Cybercrime has unfortunately grown along with online consumer activity, causing unfortunate victims to suffer financial losses.
However, these do not require you to withdraw from this pleasure and convenience altogether. Being aware of the risks and what you can do about them is the first step to your cyberspace security.
Problems associated with online shopping
- Identity theft: Cybercriminals typically do this by breaking into e-commerce platforms and collecting users’ login or credit card information. They can use it to either pretend to be customers and make unauthorized transactions or to sell customer information to other criminals online.
- Scam stores: Not all online stores are reliable. Scammers may impersonate more well known retailers. They imitate designs, layouts, and trademarks to deceive unwary users into believing they are on a reliable website. They usually resell imported or expensive things at a blackmarket rate to trick consumers. Users occasionally receive nothing but when they do receive the goods they have purchased, they are typically fakes.
- Unencrypted data: On some websites, data is not encrypted. They are particularly susceptible to attacks if they lack an updated SSL certificate. Customers who share their credit card information and other confidential material with websites whose URLs begin with HTTP rather than HTTPS run the risk of that website not being secure.
- Data breaches: When you shop online, you provide retailers private information like your address, contact information, and bank or credit card information. In the event of a data breach, there is a chance that your information could be made public if hackers get unapproved access to an e-commerce website.
- Fake information (reviews): Before making a purchase, many online customers check reviews. However, keep in mind that not all user reviews are reliable. Try to verify the source of the reviews that may be too vague or in flowery language.
- Fake apps: Numerous reliable online merchants have specialized apps. Cybercriminals occasionally attempt to imitate them by making false versions. They want to collect your usernames, passwords, bank or credit card information, and other personal information.
- Unsecured Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi that isn’t secure poses security hazards. The chance of hackers getting in your way of the connection point is one of these. The risk of hackers obtaining your personal information, including your contact information and credit card information, increases if you conduct online shopping on an unsecure Wi-Fi network.
- Adware: When accessing the internet, unwanted adverts may appear on the screen. This is known as malware. Adware, which stands for “advertising software,” is designed to bring in money for its owner. Adware can be used for legitimate or fraudulent objectives by cybercriminals, such as attracting you to malicious websites where they attempt to steal your personal information. It’s occasionally possible for an infection to start when you click the ‘X’ to close a pop-up advertisement.
- Phishing: Scammers do this by sending phony emails that look to be sent by a reputable retailer. The emails typically include an attachment or a link that attempts to deceive the recipient into clicking it, which usually results in the installation of malware.
Is online shopping worth it?
Given these dangers, it is reasonable to wonder if internet shopping is secure. Yes, generally speaking, shopping online is safe. It might be risky because of how people use the internet and conduct their online business. And cybercriminals rely on precisely that.If you become a victim of cybercriminals, it may cost you much more than just the money in your bank account; it may cost you your identity, which could result in a variety of financial and personal factors. Despite the frequent reports of online scammers and hackers, cybercriminals are really less likely to obtain your credit card information online than what they really are over the telephone, over the mail, or at a restaurant. Nevertheless, an increased level of caution is necessary for safe internet purchase.
How do you tell the difference between safe online shopping sites and fraudulent ones?
- Check the SSL certificate– look for a padlock icon in the URL bar of your web browser, or check that the URL starts with HTTPS, not HTTP (the S stands for ‘secure’).
- Look for a privacy statement– While laws and regulations vary worldwide, reputable online retailers should have a clear privacy statement. If they don’t, it could be a red flag.
- Steer clear of deals that seem too good to be true
- Look for an address and phone number- Fake sellers will either not provide an address or use a fake one.
- Look out for spelling and grammar mistakes– Other red flags might include low-quality images, no returns policy, and the inability to leave reviews.
- Check if the website accepts credit cards-it’s more difficult for fraudulent websites to become certified by credit card companies.
- Look at online reviews- Trusted review sites can give you a sense of how genuine a retailer is and what other customers think before you purchase.
How to do safe and secure online shopping?
Type the URL directly into the address bar:
As with links on tainted search results, scammers who send spam scams rely on you clicking the hyperlink in the email to be directed to a retailer’s “website.” These links then take you to copycat websites with creative designs. You are essentially sending your username and other personal information to a cybercriminal when you enter it into the Amazon website under the impression that it is for Amazon. It is much safer to type the retailer’s URL into your web browser’s address bar to make sure you are accessing the real, authentic retailer’s website. This straightforward procedure can assist in preventing you from accessing a bogus or malicious website, however it might require a bit more work.
Get a temporary credit card:
Criminal softwares can indulge into your transaction details much more easily now. You can make online purchases without your usual credit card by using a temporary credit card as an additional layer of security. Inquire with your credit card provider if a temporary card number can be provided.This is something that many credit card companies offer, allowing you to make a single transaction. This stops con artists who manage to obtain the details of your credit card from making any further fraudulent purchases. However, stay away from making transactions with these credit cards that call for recurring payments or auto-renewal.
In addition, some institutions provide virtual credit cards. These work exactly like a traditional credit card, except each purchase generates a different random account number to stop hackers from using the same one twice.
Dedicate a computer to online banking and shopping:
It could be a good idea to set aside one of your computers, if you have more than one, just for internet banking and shopping. You can easily produce a “clean” PC free from virus attacks and other infections by refraining by using the software for any other online activity such as downloading, social networking, emailing, and web surfing.
Use a dedicated email address:
You can create a “clean” email account similarly to how you would a computer. Create a separate email account for online shopping alone. By doing this, you’ll get less spam emails and run less of a chance of receiving emails that could be harmful but are actually just direct marketing or other alerts.
For instance, if you use a separate email address just for online shopping but get a message from Amazon in your main email account informing you of a problem with an order or your
Amazon account, you know it is probably a fake or malicious message sent by cybercriminals.
Manage and protect your online passwords:
One of the most crucial things you can do for safe shopping online is to use strong passwords and a distinct password for each online account. When a password has a lot of letters, numbers, and special characters, it can be difficult to remember them all. However, a password manager can be useful. If a password manager is effective, it will also encrypt plain-text passwords. Features for password management and password security are included in certain antivirus and internet security software programs.
Avoid usage of public Wi-Fi to log in to online accounts:
Free Wi-Fi is frequently available in coffee shops, resorts, dining establishments, and other public places. This can be helpful for performing online tasks such as checking email and browsing the internet. However, it poses a security risk to log into a personal account utilizing a public Wi-Fi network. Hackers with experience may be stealing your Wi-Fi signal or even creating their own to coerce you into using it. Furthermore, they have access to everything you are doing on your laptop or mobile device. In other words, if you go into an online merchant or banking account, the hacker will get your username and password.
Additionally, it’s crucial to exercise caution when utilizing free Wi-Fi at physical retail establishments. For instance, it makes sense that before making a purchase in a mall, you would want to examine the websites of online retailers to see whether they are providing lower prices. However, fraudsters take advantage of this and can steal your data as well as your login information, passwords, and financial information. It’s safer to browse the internet using your mobile phone network if you need to shop online.
Use a VPN:
VPN (a virtual private network) is a must when making transactions through public wifi. All information transmitted between your computer or mobile device and the VPN server is encrypted when using a VPN. This implies that even if they know the password to the Wi-Fi network you’re using, hackers can’t intercept it. While using public Wi-Fi, a VPN can assist in giving you a secure means to conduct online shopping.
Stick to the well established/already tried and tested websites for shopping:
Buy from well-known merchants whenever you can, especially ones with a strong reputation.
Even so, you must exercise caution because scammers frequently purposely misspell the
names of their phony websites so that they sound like well-known companies. Do your research before providing any financial information if you are seeking a specialized item that is only offered on an independent website.
Research is a must when trying out new platforms:
If the order is incorrect, it’s a good idea to contact the seller; look for an email address, phone number, or address, as well as a return policy. Another sign of dependability and honesty is the history of customer feedback for a vendor. Online reviews can provide insight on a retailer’s potential sincerity.
Be alert to the kinds of information being requested:
Ensure that you just provide the information necessary to finish your purchase. Never give out personal information over the phone to anyone you didn’t call yourself, and never respond to anyone who contacts you asking for personal details (especially passwords, credit card, or bank account numbers).
Only make payments online using safe, trusted payments methods:
Use credit cards whenever feasible because they are typically covered for your purchases. Contact your credit card provider right away to warn them if you unintentionally submit your credit or debit card details on a fraudulent website or reply to a dubious email. Never mail money in any form.
Use extra caution when using your mobile device for online purchases:
Shortened URLs, often used because they are phone-friendly, can also trick you into visiting risky sites.
Always log off after online shopping:
Always log off after finishing your online shopping session, particularly if you share a pc with somebody else if you utilized a shared computer (like in an internet café) or public Wi-Fi network.
Read your credit card statements:
Examine your credit card statements after you receive them to look for any fraudulent charges. Report anything strange as soon as you notice it. Make sure your kids can’t access your internet accounts, and restrict their access to your bank and credit card information.
Install antivirus or anti-malware software
Utilizing a thorough antivirus can aid in defending you against risks to your internet buying security.
Laws that can be referred to for making a legal complaint about cybercrime.
In Conclusion:
As we have seen, there are many different types of cybercrime, such as domain spoofing and impersonation, and they are not all new; rather, new technology have made them more accessible and pervasive.
It is crucial that we keep an eye out for these and other cybercrimes in both our personal and professional lives, especially during times of crisis when bad actors are more prevalent.