Tips for safe online shopping

VR
Jan 18, 2017
3 min read

It is a fact that more and more consumers shop online due to the prices and convenience. The online shopping is easy and the shipping fast. But what about the dangers or the phishing attacks? “More than 50 people, lured by below-market prices for smartphones and electronic gadgets advertised online, were cheated of some $40,000 in “mixed delivery order” scams in July and August 2013. Buyers first transferred deposits to local or overseas bank accounts. Then, they were scammed out of more money when told they had to pay more to get the goods, which had been delayed, wrongly delivered to another country or seized at customs, as reported in Today on 2013”(Media Literacy Council, 2014). What about when Russian hackers had amassed over a billion of passwords and more than 500 million e-mails, as NYtimes published? (Perlroth,Gelles, 2014) All these are a good reason for knowing the 7 basic security tips in order to shop safely.

Secure your computer: Before you begin shopping, make sure your computer will be safe from malicious software, viruses or stealing of passwords.
Conduct research: When you want to make a purchase from a new website, read previous reviews to see the experience of customers.
Keep all the information of your order: Make sure you have the contact details of the seller (name, phone, address) but also the number of the order and the charge of your card. (Hayes, 2007)
Protect your information: “There is a risk in the payment process because they may need to provide personal information including their credit card number. Security problem does not stop at the purchase stage but continues to the post-purchase stage because their personal information might be misused.”( Katawetawaraks et al., 2011) That’s why complete only the information that is necessary for the purchase and delivery of the order. You never know where the hacker hides.
Is the site safe? Before you pay, check if the address begins with https. The addition of ”s” protects your information. According to a survey (Shanthi et al., 2015), the second most influencing factor that makes a consumer to shop online is security, after the price of products.
Use safe payment methods: PayPal or prepaid cards are the safest option to shop online. (Moffitt, 2014)
Change your passwords regularly: Don’t forget to change regularly all your passwords every three months in order to stay safe, especially when you shop online frequently. It is also good to pick strong passwords, hard to crack.

It’s better to be safe. Read them carefully and let the shopping begin. If you still have doubts, read more tips here.

References:

Hayes, F. (2017, November 26). Attention,shoppers. Computerworld, 52. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.acg.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9ddd8d1b-1d44-4b55-b773-5b78e7e6f384@sessionmgr4006&vid=1&hid=4212
Katawetawaraks, C., & Lu Wang, C. (2011). Online shopper behavior: Influences of online shopping decision. Asian Journal Of Business Research, 1(2). Retrieved from http://www.magscholar.com/joomla/images/docs/ajbr/ajbrv1n2/Online%20Shopper%20Behavior%20Influences.pdf
Media Literacy Council. (2014). Buyer beware: How to shop safely online :Know the risks, take precautions and shop online with confidence. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.medialiteracycouncil.sg/Lists/Resources/Attachments/214/Buyer%20Beware-%20How%20to%20Shop%20Safely%20Online.pdf
Moffitt, T. (2016, April 15). 8 Tips to stay safe online. Retrieved from https://www.webroot.com/blog/2014/08/06/8-tips-stay-safe-online/
Perlroth, N., & Gelles, D. (2014, August 05). Russian hackers amass over a billion internet passwords. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/technology/russian-gang-said-to-amass-more-than-a-billion-stolen-internet-credentials.html?_r=0
Shanthi, R., & Kannaiah, D. (2015). Consumers’ perception on online shopping. Journal Of Marketing And Consumer Research, 13, 14-20. Retrieved from http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/39753/1/Dr.%20Desti%20Consumers%20perception%20on%20Online%20Shopping.pdf
StaySafeOnline. (n.d.). Online shopping. Retrieved February 10, 2017, from https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/protect-your-personal-inform