Looking to get gifts for Mother’s Day online? Doing it safely is crucial, especially with cybercriminals stepping up their game during the holidays. They use various scams to prey on people shopping online, aiming to steal money and personal information. In this post, we'll cover how to shop securely online, common scams to watch out for, and some top tips for safe online shopping.

How to Shop Online Safely

Using your debit card for online purchases isn’t the best idea. Debit cards are directly linked to your bank account, making it tough to recover money if something goes wrong. Instead, opt for a credit card or third-party payment system like PayPal. Credit cards offer robust fraud monitoring, quickly spotting suspicious activity for dispute. Some, like Capital One, even offer virtual credit cards, shielding your actual card details from merchants. Third-party tools like PayPal keep your financial info private from sellers.

Online Shopping Best Practices

In addition to employing secure payment methods, there are further measures to ensure online safety:

  1. Shop from legitimate websites. Cybercriminals create fake sites resembling popular ones. Always go directly to the official site to make purchases.
  2. Avoid deals that seem too good to be true. If it sounds fishy, it probably is. Double-check deals on the retailer's site before buying.
  3. Don’t click on promo links in emails. Scammers send fake emails mimicking trusted brands. Avoid clicking on any links in these emails to prevent network infections.
  4. Use a VPN to hide your browsing data from prying eyes.
  5. Avoid saving payment info on websites. While it's convenient, it increases the risk of data theft.
  6. Use unique logins for loyalty accounts to prevent hackers from accessing multiple accounts if one is compromised.
  7. Set up alerts in your banking system to notify you of any suspicious activity.

It’s essential to be proactive in safeguarding your financial information online, whether for personal or business use. Cybercriminals are persistent and can wreak havoc if given the chance. If you’re concerned about your business's security or want a thorough assessment, we offer a FREE Network Security Assessment. We'll check for vulnerabilities and provide insights to bolster your security.

Click here to book your FREE Network Security Assessment now or call our office at 281-771-0679.