With holiday shopping in full swing, it’s important to know about a few online shopping trends we’ve noticed and share tips about how to stay safe online while buying gifts for everyone on your list.
Because of the rising cost of goods, Americans are projected to spend more money this holiday season compared to 2023. This means every dollar is even more important, so we want to help you protect your hard-earned cash from the scammers and hackers that pop up yearly.
Here are six tips for you to stay safe while shopping online this holiday season:
1. Keep an eye on your bank statements
Your first defense against identity theft and fraud is to pay close attention to your financial records, like bank statements and credit card transactions—even if you don’t often use the account. You can usually follow this data up to the minute online. Flag suspicious activity (like being charged for a purchase you didn’t make) and contact your institution immediately.
2. Know how much items should cost
When shopping online, have a general sense of how much the items you want to buy should cost. Not only will that make you a comparison-shopping extraordinaire, but you can also get a sense of whether an online store has prices too good to be true. In these cases, you might pay less, but then you might get an item that doesn’t match the description, is a counterfeit, or you might pay and not get any item at all! A little bit of research can help protect you.
You can browse sites like Google Shopping to compare prices at different retailers and see where you can score the best deal. Or, you can download a browser extension like Honey, which scours the internet for coupon codes. But, if a store is carrying what you’re looking for at a drastically low cost, you might want to stay away. You should also still be cautious when using coupon code sites. Scammers create websites that mimic real coupon sites. They steal your personal information and use it for identity theft or sell it to other scammers.
3. Make a cybersecurity list
Give yourself the gift of peace of mind by following these guidelines:
- Protect each account with a unique, complex password that is at least 12 characters long, and use a password manager.
- Use multifactor authentication (MFA) for any account that allows it.
- Turn on automatic software updates, or install updates as soon as they’re available.
- Know how to identify phishing attempts, and report phishing messages to your email program, work, or other authorities.
4. Don’t shop on public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi and computers are convenient and sometimes necessary to use. However, public Wi-Fi isn’t very secure—never online shop or access important accounts (like banking) while connected to public Wi-Fi. Shopping online or reviewing your bank accounts while on public internet networks exposes your sensitive information to hackers. Public networks usually lack encryption, which allows anyone to see your login activity, including login details and credit card information. Hackers can also set up fake login pages, which trick you into entering your credentials.
If you must buy a few gifts online while away from your home or work network, use a VPN (virtual private network) or mobile hotspot. VPNs act as a middle ground between your device and the internet router, which lowers the risk of using public Wi-Fi. While a quality VPN is a great layer of security, you should still remember that it’s not completely foolproof.
5. Avoid “Grinch bots”
Last year, a record number of “Grinch bots” were recorded. These are automated programs that quickly buy up popular toys, sneakers, or other items and then resell the item for a huge markup. Of course, buying supposedly new items on a resale market opens you up to an increased risk of fraud and counterfeit goods. The best way to disable “Grinch bots” is to refuse to buy from them and to only buy items from vendors you can verify.
Here’s how you can spot “Grinch bots” when shopping online:
- A highly sought-after item is available in large quantities.
- You have difficulty adding items to your cart due to sudden “unavailability.”
- Items are listed at significantly inflated prices.
If you suspect you’re dealing with a “Grinch bot,” carefully review the seller’s feedback and see if anyone else had negative experiences. You can also reach out to the seller directly and ask them questions about their product if something seems suspicious. If all else fails, look for another legitimate seller.
6. Don’t share more than you feel comfortable with
While you need to share data to make a purchase online, you should be wary of any retailer that is requesting more information than you feel comfortable sharing. Oftentimes, you don’t need to fill out every field, and you shouldn’t if you don’t want to. If an online store requires you to share more information than you want, find another retailer on the internet.
Key takeaways:
- Practice normal cybersecurity habits, like using strong passwords, enabling multifactor authentication, and knowing how to identify phishing attempts.
- Don’t shop or log into sensitive accounts, like online banking, on public Wi-Fi. If you must, use a VPN.
- Use caution when buying items online from unfamiliar sellers.
Keep the spirit of cybersecurity going all year long
While these are great tips for shopping safely online during the holidays, they’re also sensible habits to follow no matter what month it is. Want to make some cybersecurity resolutions for the new year? It’s easy—we promise! Share one thing you plan on trying in the comments.
