Online shopping: Safety tips for Christmas
Much like Macaulay Culkin on Christmas Eve, we can never be too careful when it comes to our online shopping during the festive season.
The last thing most people need is another Christmas checklist, so here are some handy pointers that’ll go some way to keeping your information safe.
Buy from websites and brands you trust
There’s a reason why we go to the brands that are most familiar to us when shopping for gifts.
That being said, we can imagine that the temptation is real when there’s a Bluetooth speaker that looks disturbingly similar to the one you want, and it’s advertised for significantly less on a site you’ve never seen before.
The pricing may make the risk seem worthwhile, but the unknown that comes with inferior brands certainly isn’t. Wait a second, what’s Beats by Rey?
Brand reputations are built over time - we’re talking decades, if not longer. The quality and long-term use you often get out of an expensive item can make what seems like a painful purchase an eventual smart investment.
Quality craftsmanship, premium materials and thoughtful design are all staples of an excellent product. And if the item you want doesn’t have an Australian website, maybe look at a trusted local reseller.
Don’t make purchases while using an open Wi-Fi
There’s something innocent about your local café or burger joint offering visitors access to their Wi-Fi.
Although they might mean well, by connecting to an open network, without realising, you’re being exposed to potential hackers and putting your personal information (including your bank details) at risk.
Without diving into technical jargon, the main reason why you should avoid connecting to an unrestricted network is due to the lack of authentication when pairing your device.
Simply put, without authentication, potential hackers get unrestricted access to your device. But wait, it gets worse.
While it may seem unlikely, another pathway to your information can be through fake security updates, where hackers create a warning on your device through your mobile browser that prompt you to install malicious software.
To avoid being at risk, keep your Wi-Fi turned off if you aren’t using it, which will also eventuate in better battery life.
Be mindful of the details you’re providing
When ordering online, there’s certain information that’s mandatory when making a purchase. Those details include your name, shipping address and card information.
If you find yourself in a position where a website is prompting you for information that isn’t relevant for online shopping, you should think twice before proceeding.
A red flag in these situations could be simple information like your date of birth.
Other things to validate the legitimacy of the website you’re purchasing from include shopping from the website directly (instead of through an external link). While you’re there, also be sure to check that the URL or domain matches the name of the brand or online shop, and that it directly links to the correct social media accounts.
Before you even get started, a quick check of recent reviews through your preferred search engine may provide the answer you need, before checking out and making a purchase.
Pay with PayPal or Apple Pay instead of directly with a credit card
Using PayPal or Apple Pay are popular, convenient and secure alternatives to having to remember your information, instead of passing these details on and trusting that your payment details are looked after by retailers.
PayPal gives you the option to transfer money into a PayPal account directly (i.e. not connected to a credit card). This mechanism gives you a direct way of limiting the money at jeopardy in the case of a fraudulent event.
You can also directly link a credit card to your PayPal account. While this provides you less control in terms of how much money is at risk, credit cards have a “chargeback” mechanism to allow you to reverse fraudulent or misrepresented transactions.
Bear in mind that PayPal is not classed, and as a result, not regulated as a financial institution. Chargebacks/refunds are at PayPal’s sole discretion — with limited facility for external recourse should they decide to rule against you in a payment dispute. Credit providers (and credit cards) are a regulated industry with established chargeback mechanisms and paths for dispute resolution; for example, through the financial ombudsman service.
The “best of both worlds” (convenience and security) solution is to back your PayPal account with a credit card. That way, you get the convenience of PayPal, with a regulated credit provider chargeback mechanism should they decide to rule against you in a dispute.
Having an extra layer of protection is never a bad thing. Be careful though as direct debit and pre-paid cards (that behave somewhat like a credit cards) don’t necessarily have the same chargeback or fraud protections.
For those looking for an alternative to PayPal, it may be worth considering Apple Pay, a service offered to iPhone users that is another similarly convenient solution.
Avoid opening links directly via email
It sounds simple, right? But avoiding getting caught out by phishing scams isn’t always as easy as it may seem.
There are plenty of innocent links that we receive on a daily basis that aren’t scams and lead to genuinely helpful information that improve our experience when browsing.
However, phishing scams have been in existence since the beginning of the internet, which means potential hackers are getting better at trying to catch you out. To stay ahead, avoid clicking on any link that is asking for your personal information.
Another handy tip is to double check the sender address, as the legitimate domain that they are pretending to use (e.g. banking, sporting teams, online brands) will never look like the one they’re pretending to own.
If you notice poor grammar or the information given just doesn’t read right, that’s another red flag to move on and hit delete. If you’re ever in doubt, it’s also handy to get in touch with the company that you think you’re speaking with.
Housekeeping before you check-out
Data breaches often originate from websites that aren’t properly completed and simply don’t look the part. Remember what you were told about presentation growing up? The same rules apply in the online world.
As a potential buyer, you should always be sure to check that any website used for online shopping has the green padlock in its URL. This ensures that the certificate used to encrypt the connection between your device and the online retailer is valid, and that it cannot be eavesdropped to steal your payment details.
If you’d like to learn more about protecting yourself and your family from identity theft, join our BE SAFE Privacy and Online Safety Group on Facebook.
