Numerous online shopping apps/ websites have been discovered that have made shopping convenient and comfortable for customers. Now, people can shop from their comfort place, home, offices, anywhere anytime. Also, they can navigate different options, categories of different products.
To discover more accurate and verified results we can add filters and the results get sorted as per user preferences. The products are delivered to their home at their locations. Online shopping delivery services are accessible in every city now.
Many online transaction apps have also been developed with these shopping sites and apps. All are designed with simple user interfaces to make the shopping experience and the payment process easier. In the excitement of shopping sometimes we make mistakes and we are not aware of that.
You may hear about cyber fraud activities where fake products/ orders are delivered to customers’ homes. Many times people approach the bank accounts by accessing a simple OTP code. To make you aware of this serious fraud activity here, we are mentioning a few points that you should keep in mind while ordering something online.
6 things to make your shopping scam-free and safe
Shop from the legitimate site
When you access any shopping site link you should look over the URL of the website on the left side there is a lock icon that indicates the reliability of the website that it’s a safe site to shop. Nowadays things have become more advanced and better now users can access the website organization information, check the security status and certification of the website.
If the site is secured with SSL or TLS certifications and doesn’t support data encryption. You can also check the security terms, policies of the website, the name of the site are spelled correctly or not, customer reviews, popularity/ visibility on social media platforms, secure site seal, contact information to access the support anytime you need.
No Personal Data Sharing
To make the shopping experience convenient you may need to create an account for these eCommerce apps and sites. While you are creating an account be careful while you are entering the information it will be saved in their database and they can use it for other purposes. Some websites need to validate your birthdate to know your age because they have age restrictions to create account profiles. Gmail is an example of this.
If any website wants to access something very personal then you need to take support from customer care. While setting up an account always use a combination of strong passwords and characters so hackers can’t decode it easily. The Guest Checkout option is also a good way to protect your data. Transactions should be done with the recognized accounts, contacts, or otherwise, you may be stuck in a serious situation.
For safer and liable payment options you can use your credit card. Once in a while, you should navigate to previous transactions to confirm the fraud or any risk.
Track your Order
Every product order has a unique product ID to confirm the further product details. You can use this information to track the order, its current location, shipping, or other information. Take a screenshot or note down the details somewhere else. Before placing an order, check for contact support if there’s anything given so you can ask them why your order is not delivered to your place. If nothing is mentioned there you should not place your order on that site. It may leave you clueless or unidirectional.
If you don’t get any response from the merchant end you can take a legal path or help from government authorities. To stop the fraudulent activities, scams/ cyber threats, the government has functioned as a cyber cell that tracks and manages such types of cyber networking criminal acts.
Have Common Sense
E-commerce launches products with attractive deals so more and more customers can purchase their products. Some verified sites genuinely sell affordable deals but there are also fake deals available on different resources that are not worth it. Before purchasing a deal you should verify if the product is good or worth it or its strategy. Having common sense while shopping verifies everything. Don’t believe in any promotion email waiting in your mailbox.
Identify Malicious Emails
Creating a fake website and running a fake business online is not that tough. Many open-source frameworks and resources are available in the software and app market that can build the website and be digitally visible through social media platforms. By posting some products and fake descriptions customers can get stuck in the plan of scammers.
By using email marketing they will send your emails that contain the product description and services with attractive deals and offers. So, the customer will think that it is genuine but if you try to reach out to them with the mentioned details it may redirect to any malicious web address.
Sometimes these advertisement emails ask the customers/ users to fill an account form where they try to collect personal information about the customers and then use it for hacking, cyber threats, or dangerous activities. All the businesses are not legitimate so be careful before clicking on any link otherwise it may lead to suspicious platforms.
Keep your phone software update
Cybercriminals or hackers try to access a phone that has outdated software. Your phone is at risk under outdated software. Over time, the company releases software updates to keep the phone up to date and improve the user interface experience, including the security and privacy features, app features. Keep your phone software updated, check the play store if the updates are waiting for the installed application then turn on an update so you can have a better experience on your phone. Outdated software and app versions also impact the internet connection and your phone gets hung in between the process.
We hope that you got something insightful after reading this blog and your shopping experience will get safe from scam events!