The process of visiting an online retailer, perusing its offerings by the dozen, adding one or two items of your choice to a shopping cart, and clicking the “buy” button is now quick and easy thanks to the Internet. But complexity also brings greater difficulties. Online shopping’s security concerns rank among its major problems. According to a report by Scam Watch, over a thousand Australian consumers have already reported cases of online shopping scams this year, and 56.6% of these cases result in significant financial loss. We mentioned below are the ways to Prevent Online Shopping Scams.
Ways to Prevent Online Shopping Scams
Research new and sketchy websites
Let’s say you discover the ideal gift online, but it is located on a store you have never used before. Always do your homework on a website before committing to a purchase. In an effort to trick you and steal your information, scammers today create fake websites that are remarkably similar to those of online retailers. Make sure the website’s URL is always checked for spelling errors. Doing a quick internet search is also a wise practice. It’s likely that someone posted a review online about their experience if other customers have fallen victim to online scams. You might be able to avoid spending money and suffering by doing some research.
Monitor your accounts using automatic alerts
Check to see what alert choices your credit and debit cards offer. Frequently, you can set up various alerts to send you a text message or email as soon as something is discovered. Alerts may include information on transaction amounts, charge frequency, and even the location of purchases.
Use fraud-detecting technology with your checking account
To keep a closer eye on your online purchases, think about using a service that monitors your credit and looks for fraud. Some checking accounts may come with security features like access to your credit score, identity theft monitoring and resolution services, and alerts for changes to your credit report. Numerous financial features that you would expect are included in our MaxMoney® checking account, along with the assurance that your information is secure.
Protect your privacy on social media
Cybercriminals enjoy gathering private data from social media and using it to guess passwords, create customised phishing emails, and develop other online scams. Think twice before sharing too much personal information on social media, and use privacy settings to control who can access your data.
Lock down your accounts
Don’t reuse your internet banking, email, or social media passwords when you need to create accounts with online stores; instead, use strong, unique passwords. A unique verification code sent to you via a different method may be required in addition to a password and username by some online retailers in order to secure your account when you make a purchase.
Final words
We hope you like our article on how to Prevent Online Shopping Scams. Globally, online shopping is booming. Online scams are on the rise along with online shopping. When people purchase these fake goods, they frequently receive inferior goods. If anything ever does arrive, that is. Frequently, the business simply folds and changes its name without sending anything. In the worst-case scenarios, they also steal the details of customers’ credit cards.
