Safe online shopping - rules
Is online shopping safe? Yes and no. Yes, if you are aware of what should arouse your suspicions when shopping online and react immediately. Definitely not if you act quickly and without thinking. Then you can unknowingly get caught by scammers. Especially since they're getting smarter these days. Check how to safely shop online .
Online shopping - breeding ground for cybercriminals
The popularity of online shopping has skyrocketed, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and high inflation. The pandemic has kept people at home, and inflation forces you to save and use the price comparison website more often to buy at the lowest possible price. Tons of transactions have moved to online stores, so this field has become an ideal working area for fraudsters. Today, as never before, it is worth knowing how to protect yourself online .
According to CERT ( Computer Emergency Response Team ), i.e. the computer security incident response team - In 2021 , the number of frauds on popular shopping portals, i.e. Vinted, Allegro or OLX, increased five times (compared to 2020) . In 2022, the number of scams has already increased sevenfold . The number of fictitious shops and goods is also growing. In the Sapsan store , we also notice a general increase in interest in the issue of online security, not only by private individuals, but also by large companies. The popularity of cybersecurity equipment is definitely greater than it was a few years ago. Despite all this, many people are still unaware of the dangers that lurk online; nor does he know whatphishing and skimming are . In this article, you will learn the most important rules, thanks to which you will already know how to safely shop online .
Online shopping security - what does it depend on?
What makes online shopping safe ? Below you will find 7 important tips that will keep you safe when shopping online . Please read them carefully.
What should pay special attention to when shopping online?
- The path to reach the online store. If someone sent you a link on messenger or other communicator or you received information about a promotion by e-mail, this is the first sign to strengthen your own vigilance. Why? Because these are the most common ways cybercriminals use to reach potential victims.
- Any online store look. Pay attention to what the website you are going to shop on looks like. Do you notice a lot of spelling errors, broken Polish? Graphics and photos are falling apart or are of dubious quality? Be careful, because this may mean that someone put this page quickly and is to be used for fraud.
- Too wide range. When you see that someone is selling the proverbial soap and jam and the offer includes, for example, interior furnishings, but also cosmetics or tools - better not to shop there.
- Unsafe search results. Don't trust uncle Google implicitly. Remember that fake stores are also listed in the results. So when you enter, for example, the phrase “laptop bag” , there may also be a trap among trustworthy websites, so be careful.
- Inconsistent regulations. Click through the regulations of the store where you shop. See the privacy policy, rules for complaints and returns. If you notice any discrepancies, different names or addresses, or anything that suggests that the terms and conditions are copied from other stores, refrain from shopping online there.
- No KRS or activity not related to trade. Make it a habit to check the seller's details, especially if you've never heard of or shopped there before. Sometimes scammers impersonate an existing stationary store that does not have an online store or take over a domain that is no longer used.
- Doubtful contact with the seller. If your attempts to contact us directly by e-mail or phone remain unanswered or the person you contacted does not know the answers to your questions or is irritated, do not shop online in this store.
How to safely shop online ?
In addition to the above tips, the knowledge of which will definitely increase your online shopping safety , it is also worth knowing that:
- a padlock next to the website address is no longer a guarantee of security today , because cybercriminals already have a patent on how to use this type of marking to their advantage;
- scammers often use an easy-to-miss typo in a website name to scam money or data;
- positive opinions of alleged customers of the store may be crafted by scammers ;
- you should not ignore signals from the antivirus program or the browser itself, which displays a message that the site is unsafe;
- attractive promotions, unique occasions that will never happen again are often supposed to put pressure on you and encourage you to act faster. Watch out for all these extra discounts, especially during the pre-Christmas shopping rush.
We hope that these tips will make your online shopping safer and you will be more aware of how to shop safely online every day . If you have any questions, please contact us. We are here for you.
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