This write-up provides the top 5 online safety tips for safe online shopping. Following these five tips, you can outsmart black hats and their cyber attacks and secure your purchases.
Avoid Debit Card
If you are using a debit card to pay your shopping bills, then it would be best to stop doing so. Debit cards are directly linked to your bank accounts. As a result, they are at a much higher risk of getting hacked and misused by illegal entities. Once you lose its credentials, passwords, and transaction PIN, you are likely to lose all the money in your bank account. In a debit card situation, you cannot reclaim any amount.
Instead, you should use online payment services and credit cards to pay for your purchases. It is a safe payment method you can use to prevent hackers from taking over your account. Credit cards are directly connected to the finance companies. These companies use high-tech security mechanisms to secure your internet transactions. It makes it impossible for the cybercriminals to hack your credit account. If anyone steals your card number or other important credentials, then you can file a complaint to financial services. The finance service-providing company will conduct a thorough investigation, and reach the root of the crime and once it is proven, you will get relaxation and less liability for paying the bills.
It is a proven fact that if anything goes wrong with digital payments while you are using a credit card, there are more chances to get refunds for your payments. In most cases, if you go through any fraud, payment service-providing companies reverse the payment process. As a result, the amount stolen never goes to the thief and is automatically restored to your credit limit. Hence, credit cards offer more secure and reliable online financial services. So, avoid debit cards and use credit cards to pay your shopping bills.
Shop From Authentic E-Commerce Platforms
You will come across thousands of e-commerce platforms selling goods and services. But, choosing the right and reliable platform from these online companies is the most important thing to avoid financial fraud and theft. So, you must carry out thorough research to find out and verify which websites are true and which ones are fraudulent.
- To do so, the first thing that you can do is look for the URL of the website. If the URL has 's' like 'https' along with the lock icon in the beginning, then it is a safe site. If it is lacking 's' in the 'http' and lock icon in the beginning, then know that it is not a safe site. 'S' in the URL stands for secure, and the lock icon refers to the SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) encryption. That means all the data and credentials you exchange between your browser and site server are completely coded and hidden from everyone. It leaves no chance for cybercriminals to steal anything or track your online activities.
- Secondly, make purchases from popular and well-known sites like Amazon, Flipkart, or the official websites of the big brands you like. These platforms offer authentic products, complete security, and a secure payment system. Shopping from such platforms is a more secure option. It will help you avoid mishaps that can incur financial damage.
- Thirdly, make sure all the spellings are correct and use an authentic format for the URL. Most domain names are leveled with uncertain letters that create confusion for first-time seers. In this situation, you are advised to look for the proper domain names with official company names and product names. Don't be hasty to fill out all the information that the site is asking from you.
Do Not Provide Personal Information
You will often come across platforms that ask for a lot of your personal information, accept cookies and permission to provide you access to their sites, and complete the process. It may include information like your email address, birth date, social security number, workplace, and the type of business you do to earn a living. All of this information is not necessary or has no role in online shopping. So, make sure to avoid these formalities and deny providing all the information all at once. If by chance they insist you provide any information, make sure to lie about all these things or create alternate accounts for online transactions alone.
Faking information will save you from a lot of trouble in the future. Illegal sites and third-party platforms can use your credentials to issue credit cards and mobile sims and create fake social media accounts to impersonate you. Using fake identities, cybercriminals can get loans in their name, commit crimes, and promote their illegal activities. Hence, make sure not to provide all the information and permission while you are doing any business or shopping from online platforms. Instead, you can lie about this or provide fake information about you. It will cut all the chances for cyberpunks or online fraudsters to steal data or money or create fake identities in your name.
Don't Fall For The Gift Cards And Heavy Discounts
Fake and unsafe e-commerce platforms offer gift cards and heavy discounts on their goods and services. It is an old tactic and online methodology to which people often become attracted. But in reality, these schemes exist only virtually or on your desktop screen. Bogus e-commerce platforms ask you for full payment and promise to apply for the offers after some time. Once you consent to these terms and conditions, and complete the process you find out they are all fake.
All the more links offering heavy discounts and gift cards are often tampered with with malicious software such as malware, trojan horses, spyware, and ransomware. As soon as you click on them, you become their prey, malware gets downloaded to your device automatically. Once malware is inside the device, it steals your data and delivers it to external players moving the strings from a safe distance. With the help of malware, they can manipulate your system settings, record your voice, tap your calls, and track down all your online activities. All of this adds up to the chaos and damage to your identity and stability as a user.
It is highly recommended that you avoid fake gift cards and discount offers on the internet. Do not open any of the fake links on your devices. The best course you can follow is to use antivirus software to protect your digital devices against malware infiltration, ransomware, and spyware. Always check the official websites of the brands and products offering these rewards to make sure the information you are receiving is right. In addition to this, never pay the amount in advance for your purchases. Instead, go for the cash-on-delivery option. In this situation, you can check the product quality and get the benefits promised on the websites.
Use Authentic Shopping Apps
Shopping apps are at the center of creating online shopping as a convenience for customers. You can easily download and install these apps on your devices. But you have to be careful where you are getting your online shopping apps. If you are directly downloading them from third-party platforms or internet sites, then there is no guarantee whether they are safe or not. So, in this situation, you are recommended to use only reliable and authentic platforms to get your shopping apps.
You can use Google Play Store and Apple Store as per your devices to download shopping apps. Such platforms allow only authentic apps and programs on their listing. They verify the origin of the apps and issue general guidance and restrictions in terms of security and anti-scam policies that are mandatory for app companies to follow. Hence, you get more protection and security if you get your shopping apps from authentic platforms. These apps do not ask you for unnecessary information or permission about you. You can skip these permissions and information questions at your convenience. For more information, you can check the reviews and comments of the users who are already using these apps. All the apps are registered on the public review websites that further clarify the site’s authenticity.
Conclusion
No doubt internet shopping has changed our shopping experience for the good. With the help of this, you can compare different brands and manufacturers for prices, quality, and variety from a comfortable space sitting at your home. Without visiting the physical location, you can place your order and deliver it to your doorstep by hitting some clicks and paying the amount. But it is also fraught with danger as cybercriminals have become active in this arena. So, moving with caution and using some safety tips is highly important for us to do safe online shopping. You can successfully avoid any mishap using the Top 5 online safety tips for safe online shopping mentioned in this blog. Employing them, you can safely shop for goods and products online and get them delivered right to your doorstep in peace.
