Internet scams frequently target online holiday shoppers. Many online shoppers unknowingly put themselves and their identities on the line while attempting to purchase gifts.
Consumerreports.org reminds shoppers to be conscious of what websites they are visiting. The website reminds consumers to be on the lookout for multiple types of scams.
An astonishing 40 percent of online scam attempts occur during the last quarter of the year, says Rurik Bradbury, a marketing executive at e-commerce security company Trustev. Don’t rely on retailers to shield you, he warns. Because they’re overwhelmed by high volumes of online shopping, “their manual processes of reviewing and checking transactions for online fraud flags are not sustainable,” he explains.
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Scammers try to lure you to copycat websites of well-known brands or retailers by advertising great deals on hot-ticket items on social media sites or through search engines. Their goal: to deliver malware to your computer, steal your credit card number, or “phish” for personal information. To outsmart them, check the website addresses for misspellings, such as extra letters or words in common names, or domains other than the usual “.com” or “.org.” To further protect yourself, type the URL directly into your browser; do not click on a link from an email or social media site unless you are absolutely sure the message is from a legitimate business.
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Look for the “https” instead of “http” on the web address of the payment page before you enter a credit card number or other personal information. The “s” stands for a secure connection which reduces the chance of online scams. Also, do not use free, public Wi-Fi to enter your credit card or other financial account information; scammers routinely hack public Wi-Fi hotspots to steal your passwords.
Holiday shoppers may be more likely to overlook safety precautions because of the hurried nature of the season.
Photo via Dennis Skley via Flickr CC License
