Cyber Monday safety tips while shopping online
47 ABC – Cyber Monday marks one of the busiest holiday shopping days and this year, it may even hit an all-time high.
According to Adobe Analytics, forecasts predict over $7 billion in sales, a 17% increase from last year. But while you’re trying to get your hands on some discounts, others may want to get their hands on your wallet. Because local matters, we have some online shopping safety tips for this year’s Cyber Monday.
Travis Fisher, a computer science engineer from Inacom Information Systems, says the biggest vulnerability is going to be from email. “If you get an ad from somebody, you want to make sure that it’s coming from the website supposedly from,” Fisher tells 47 ABC.
A big threat is phishing when attackers pretend to be a website, so when you’re browsing the internet, make sure you’re aware of the web address.
Fisher tells us, “The biggest thing you want to do is look at the address bar on your web browser and make sure that it matches the store that you think you’re on. If you’re purchasing from an unpopular store maybe they aren’t practicing best practices to help secure your personal information.”
Another big way to avoid a scam, go straight to the retailer’s website. We’re told you shouldn’t Google the product because ads could pop up, which could be bad for your pocket book.
Before you check out, using your credit card instead of your debit, may be a better choice. 47 ABC spoke to CPA Thomas Hudson, who says it’s safer because credit cards offer protections. “Say your information were to get stolen online, a debit card can have your entire bank account empty by someone acting maliciously versus a credit card which offers one layer of protection from your own money,” Hudson says.
If you want to save your information online, to save some time for future purchases, think twice. Online websites are supposed to encrypt information but not every website has the same level of protection.
After the holiday season, check your credit card statements at the end and if you see any discrepancies, contact your credit card provider as soon as possible to start the dispute process.
