Protecting yourself as you surf for deals
Keep your guard up with these simple tips before making online purchases
Love shopping online? You’re not alone. According to a recent report published by J.C. Williams Group Ltd., a retail and marketing consulting firm, a whopping 92 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they shopped online.
Clearly, many enjoy the benefits: the lack of traffic; the convenience (stores are open 24-7) that you can wear your pyjamas; price comparisons between multiple retailers are easy (make sure you read both customer and professional reviews of products before you buy); product selection is vast, to say the least, including many stores and unique items sold outside of Canada; and products are shipped right to your door. But to shop safely and protect your identity from malicious types, heed these safety tips: Look for the lock Always use a secure Internet connection when making a purchase. Reputable websites use technologies such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) that encrypt data during transmission.
“A web page is secure if there is a locked padlock in the lower righthand corner of a browser or if the address starts with ‘https,’ where the ‘s’ stands for secure,” explains Suat Alaybeyoglu, vice president of consumer acquisition and management at American Express Canada.
Some browsers will tell you it’s safe to give out your credit card by showing you a green address bar, while those unprotected will be highlighted in red.
“We also encourage card members to review their statements each month and monitor charges by logging into their account on our app or online,” Alaybeyoglu adds. Use a secure payment method Only shop on sites that take secure payment methods, such as credit cards and PayPal, as you’ve got buyer protection — just in case there’s a dispute. Alaybeyoglu says along with Amex’s Fraud Protection Guarantee — meaning you won’t be held liable for any proven fraudulent charges — card members can be notified on their smartphones if there are any uncharacteristic transactions or unusually high charges that might be suspected as fraudulent.
“If we detect suspicious activity, we take steps to notify the card member through fraud alerts delivered right to their mobile device,” through this free opt-in service, Alaybeyoglu says. Password pointers “Change passwords routinely, or use password protection software if you’re worried you won’t remember them,” says Ted Kritsonis, a Toronto- based technology journalist.
It’s wise to reset your shopping passwords every so often, just in case someone guesses one or if there’s a data breach at an online retailer. And never use the same password for all online shopping sites (or other web activities, like online banking) as once someone guesses one password, they’ll have free reign over everything else.
A strong password is at least seven characters long and has a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Do your homework When on auction sites like eBay, check the seller’s reputation and read comments before buying a product to see what the experience was like for previous customers. You can always ask a question to a seller. Also, read the item description care- fully before purchasing, including where the seller is located, shipping charges, if the product is new or used, refund and return policies, and payment methods accepted.
“Also, don’t forget about the No.1tip about shopping: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” cautions Barry Choi, personal finance expert at Moneywehave.com. “You’ll want to avoid really hot ‘deals’ from unknown merchants.”
Ignore emails in your inbox that claim to be from a retailer (or your bank or Internet Service Provider). These “phishing” attempts look legit, but if they ask you to confirm your financial or personal details on a website, they’re fake. They’re trying to lure you to click a link in the email, which takes you to an authentic-looking website, and fool you into typing in information. Watch out for fake shopping apps As reported last week in mainstream media, hundreds of phoney retail apps have popped up in Apple’s App Store and Google Play (for Android devices), in the hopes of tricking holiday shoppers into downloading and using them.
Similar to “phishing” emails that look like they’re from legitimate stores, these phoney apps — complete with an authentic-looking logo and marketing messaging — want your credit card information for fraud and identity theft.
Some have been found to contain “malware” (malicious software) that can also infect a mobile device, while others ask you to log in with Facebook credentials to lift personal data.
Be sure you’re downloading the legitimate app by downloading it from the company’s official website. If downloading the app from the store directly, check to see that it’s been around for a few years with high ratings by users.
Never be the first to download a new shopping app. Avoid shopping on hotspots Try not to do any online shopping when you’re using a public computer (such as in an airport lounge) or when you’re using a public Wi-Fi network (say, at your favourite coffee shop).
You never know if your information is being tracked and logged — so it’s best to wait until you get home. Or use your smartphone as a personal hotspot, which is safer than free WiFi.
“Another tip is to use gift cards, like many retailers offer, which is a good way to shop without providing any financial information,” Kritsonis suggests.
On a related note, keep your computer software up to date by turning on “automatic updates.” This includes your web browser, which could warn you if you land on a suspicious website.
Always have good anti-malware software installed to catch threats like viruses. Good software suites cost $40 and up, per year.