Cyber Monday 2018 was the biggest US shopping day ever, with sales reaching nearly $8 million.
And let’s be honest, shopping online during the holidays is convenient. You don’t have to fight for a parking spot, leave your couch, or even put on real pants (hello, comfy PJs!). As more and more people opt to shop online instead of in good old fashioned brick and mortar stores, it’s important to keep cyber safety a priority:
A little bit of trust goes a long way.
If you can, stick to shopping at websites you know. Most of us wouldn’t buy a computer off of some random trench coated guy in an alley, so shouldn’t we follow those same standards online? As always, remember to directly navigate to your favorite websites instead of clicking email links. It’s easy to miss the fact that a link takes you to amaazon.com (totally fake) instead of amazon.com (totally real).
Do some research.
If you find a must-have deal on a site you’ve never ordered from before, it doesn’t necessarily have to take a Christmas miracle to figure out whether or not a site is reputable. To help you decide if you should click “buy”, you can check them out for engagement on social media or run a WHOIS search. WHOIS will give the basics about the site, including when it was created. If it was recently created, there’s a good chance it’d be risky to give them your credit card digits.
Don't just check for a lock.
For years, the padlock next to a web address (beginning with https://) has been thought to signify safety. SSL certifications can be obtained by anyone and all they mean is that the data traveling back and forth between you and the website is encrypted. It does not mean that the website is safe or legitimate. In fact, an increasing number of phishing sites feature a padlock, giving their victims a false sense of security.
Make your list and check it twice.
You’ve spent weeks wracking your brain for the perfect gift idea for Aunt Susie and finally made your purchase. Time to sit back and relax, right? Not quite. It’s important to check your credit card statement to verify that the correct amount was deducted. Also, shipping spoofs are not uncommon so be sure to use the tracking details from the store website and directly navigate to the shipping company’s site to track your package all along its merry way.
