However, retailers and consumers are not the only ones increasing their activities online.
This is also a buffet table for cybercriminals. False web pages that capture credit card information, fraud, phishing, fake shopping sites, etc. are created to exploit people's fears and goodwill, to steal their personal information.
So, in addition to checking the balance on your credit card and writing shopping lists, you also need to take certain security precautions before going into e-shopping mode. If done correctly, shopping online is convenient and easy – and safe.
If you are not at home, pay attention to which wifi you are connecting to. Do you have the tendency of connecting to free wifi? If is it called "Free Wifi" or something similar, then you should consider whether to do shopping on that network. It may be a criminal who set up the wifi network to listen to your traffic and capture your personal information. And never use public computers for online shopping.
Did you know that there are fake apps that mimic the official Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker to take advantage of our interest in Corona? Carefully review what permissions an app requires. Is it really necessary for an app that presents a visualization of the global distribution of the new Coronavirus, to have access to your pictures, GPS position, camera, and contacts? Some apps even want permission to record every keystroke on your phone. That includes any credentials or credit cards data typed.
Make sure your devices are up to date and protected with commercial security products. For example, a security product may contain virus protection, firewall with intrusion protection, web filter, and phishing protection. A trustworthy VPN service is also a good option if you have to use public networks.
When you need to make online payments, make sure it is https://www.shop.com and not http://www.shop.com. It will also appear as a small padlock in the address bar.
If you shop in an online store that's new to you, there are things to keep in mind. In times of crisis, also many fraudulent online shops have appeared those market facemasks, hand sanitizers and other medical supplies. Even if the website appears trustworthy, you should check if the company exists or delivers the goods you have intended to buy.
Do not click on banners in emails or on the web if you are not completely sure that the sender is legitimate. Before you click, hover over the banner and review the link. You will then be able to read the entire address. Does the address look strange (for example, contains many special characters or some letters that have been replaced)? If yes, do not click. When looking for what you want to buy, check out the ratings and reviews of the online store on a couple of different external sites.
Other things like poor language or exceptionally attractive offers are also signals that you should listen to.
The webshop should use secure payments together with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Swish, and/or direct payment from the online bank. And don’t forget to check your bank account statement to look for deviant transactions.
Remember these simple tips, and you can proceed with your online shopping securely.
Are you able to detect what's wrong with these addresses?
www.kjeII.com
Here is the lower case L changed to the upper case I. When written in all upper-case, it actually looks like this: WWW.KJEII.COM
dhl.amazondeliveryservice.com
It’s easy to think that this is a legitimate site to track your delivery, but it’s probably a site that distributes malware. Go through the shop site or the logistics site to track your delivery.
www.ritua.ls
Here, the Lesothic top-level domain is used to trick the reader into believing that the link leads to Rituals official website (www.rituals.com). Be careful of different top-level domains.
www.zalando.webpromotion.io
This address should be construed as leading to Zalando but is actually owned by webpromotion.io. Who is behind that domain?