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ONLINE SHOPPING SAFETY TIPS
With #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday approaching soon, we wanted to pass on some handy online and cyber safety tips and things to look out for!
This year, we have seen a dramatic increase in online deals and with these great deals, comes the risk of online and #Cyber fraud. An estimated R114 Billion was spent online globally in 2019 with 35% of online shoppers clicking through to third party websites looking for the ultimate saving. In 2019, it was averaged that 23.7% of online consumers were sold fake goods or experienced some sort of fraud through fake websites.
So… How can you protect yourself? Here are some tips:
- Watch out for fake websites: Fraudsters often clone websites and dupe consumers into thinking they are shopping on a legitimate website. Be aware of the web address, look out for the pixelated images and ensure the website is functioning properly.
- Only shop on secure websites: Hover your mouse over the URL and check the validity of the web address. You should look for a padlock symbol in the address bar and check that the URL begins with a ‘https://’ or ‘shttp://’. The ‘S’ indicates the web address has been encrypted and secured with an SSL certificate.
- Use your credit card: Preferably use your credit card that requires OTP’s or SMS authentication proving the transaction is indeed yours allowing you to approve or decline it.
- If the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is: Online trolls and fraudsters often try to catch consumers with overly attractive deals. Be vigilant of emails, social media posts, and pop ups.
- Be aware of Phishing emails: Phishing is one of the most popular ways for criminals to steal your personal information and there is always a massive increase in these types of scams on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
We hope these were useful! Happy shopping.
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Jayson O'Reilly
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