10 tips for safer Online Shopping
Online shopping in South Africa is booming – it’s enjoyable and convenient to click your way to great bargains from the comfort of your desk or sofa.
Unfortunately, the more things are ‘added to carts’, the more potential opportunities emerge for fraudsters to gain access to your hard-earned money.
Follow Santam’s 10 tips for safe and enjoyable online shopping:
1. Save your favourites
To avoid typing in the wrong address, it’s a good idea to bookmark your most trusted shopping sites.
2. Look for the lock
Only transact on secure websites: Look for the lock image on the toolbar, valid certificates such as VeriSign and secure payment systems such as PayU. When you get to the page where you enter your credit card or other personal information, look for an ‘s’ after ‘https://’ in the web address – it should read: ‘https://’. The encryption is a security measure that scrambles your data as it is entered.
3. Do online shopping in safe places
Don’t do your shopping in coffee shops and malls. With public Wi-Fi, there’s a bigger chance for fraudsters to get hold of your usernames and passwords.
4. Watch out for strange emails and links
Fraudsters are quite good at mimicking known websites, which enables them to easily create emails with fraudulent links in them that look legitimate. Always be sceptical about offers that seem to good too be true. Certain online ads on social media sites might take you to a fake website that can infect your system with malware. Never send emails that contain personal information such as your card number and expiry date, or supply these details over the phone.
5. Keep your browser up to date
Those constant updates can be annoying but they are there to keep you safe. Always do system and app updates to lessen the risk.
6. Use strong passwords
Don’t create a password that is easy to guess or hack. Use an eight-digit password combination of uppercase letters, symbols and numbers. Did you know that a simple six-letter password will take a hacker 10 minutes to crack but an eight-digit one would take them 463 years?
7. Keep track of your bank statements
Check your statements regularly for any unverified transactions, and to ensure no fraudulent charges are made on your accounts.
8. Choose strong antivirus software
Use good quality antivirus software – whether from your bank or reputable providers.
9. Use two-factor authentication methods
In the world of online shopping and banking, the OTP (one-time PIN) is your best friend. This is called two-factor authentication – when you need another mode of verification (other than your password) to authorise a transaction. You will usually receive an OTP as an SMS on your cellphone. Technology such as Verified by VISA and Mastercard SecureCode protect both you, the cardholder, and the merchant by verifying your personal details during an online purchase.
10. Teach your children about online safety
They might not have credit cards yet but if you have a household of tablets and phones, sharing music and movies between accounts, then it’s a good idea to teach them safety habits too. Remind teenagers to never give out personal details over the phone, and be careful about clicking on email links.
Make sure that you stay abreast of common online scams by visiting these useful websites:
