Tips for shopping safely on Cyber Monday
The holiday shopping deals continue after the Thanksgiving weekend with Cyber Monday. Here are some tips for making your online purchases safely.
Black Friday is over, but the offers and discounts continue until November 27, the day shoppers know as Cyber Monday. This shopping holiday is the most important for online purchases.
This year, 182 million consumers are expected to take advantage of the holiday and long weekend of shopping and discounts, with 71.1 million shoppers expected to take advantage of the deals on Cyber Monday.
In recent years, the day’s popularity has grown due to its focus on online shopping, primarily with deals on technology and electronics, including smartphones, laptops, tablets and other devices.
However, online sales often involve risk, so we share some tips for making your purchases safely.
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Purchase from a secure computer with a trusted connection
A computer or phone that is not protected by antivirus software is more likely to be compromised by malware, so we recommend making sure you are protected. Also, don’t shop on public WiFi.
Search safe sites
We recommend buying only from trusted sites beyond searching for deals on a search engine. Be careful with sites that use a different domain, such as a .net instead of a .com.
Another tip is not to buy anything from a website that does not have SSL encryption installed. An encryption is a data encoding technology that prevents hackers from stealing your personal financial information. Websites with an HTTPS:// generally have SSL encryption. A closed padlock icon will also appear at the top or bottom of your web browser.
Choose a good password
Experts urge consumers to choose a good password when creating an account on a shopping website. A strong password should be made up of a combination of different types of characters including numbers, symbols, punctuation, uppercase and lowercase letters.
It is also advisable to change your password regularly and use different passwords for each website or service.
READ ALSO: The origins of Cyber Monday
Verify your transactions
It is important to act quickly if you notice any suspicious activity or unauthorized transactions on your credit card or bank account. We recommend configuring real-time alerts to keep you informed of any transaction.
Delete suspicious emails
We also recommend that you be on the lookout for emails that may be fake or contain links to steal your information or with a zip file attachment that contains malware.
Ignore or block pop-up ads
Many pop-ups may contain fake coupons and redirect you to malicious sites. We recommend blocking unwanted pop-ups in your browser settings.
Check product reviews
To avoid being deceived or purchasing an item that does not meet your expectations, we recommend that you research and read several reviews thoroughly, including those that include photos or videos. Don’t just go by the overall rating or stars, as these numbers can be inflated by fake ratings or reviews.