Safe shopping online during Covid-19 is possible if you follow a few simple tips
Posted by SWE Inc on 5th May 2020
The Covid-19 global pandemic is one of the defining events of 2020 which has completely transformed the global economy. Among other things, the Coronavirus has also transferred most of the shopping to online stores. Naturally, people prefer to shop as much as possible from the safety of their own homes when they don't feel safe outside. Unfortunately, many false web pages capture credit card information, and fraud, as well as fake shopping sites, could cause problems. To protect you from cybercriminals, we are giving you some tips for safe shopping online during Covid-19.
1.Pay attention to the site
When buying something in a store, you have the advantage of seeing the inventory and the employees. However, when you are shopping online you have to look for other trust indicators. You need to make sure that the website is legitimate. If you are buying in an online store for the first time and it is new to you, you need to keep in mind that many false online stores appeared during Covid-19. Therefore, even if the website appears trustworthy you need to check if the company exists or delivers the goods you want to buy, since that there are companies that are not reliable as much as jbmoving.com is.
Also, you can ask yourself these additional questions to determine whether a site is trustworthy:
- Do they have terms and conditions or return policy listed?
- Do they have reviews?
- Do they have social media followers?
- And, most importantly if you want to shop online safely, is there contact information listed?
Make sure that the site is legitimate before you decide to buy something
These questions will not guarantee that the website is safe, but they can help determine whether you should trust a site or not
2.For safe shopping online during Covid-19, protect your data
If you want to play it safe when shopping online, you must protect your data and you should not give out more information than you need to. For example, you will not be asked to give your date of birth for purchasing BAAM!HP High pressure Drain Blaster and Cleaner, but if you want to buy alcohol you will have to validate your age. Additionally, choose strong passwords that have a complex set of lowercase and uppercase numbers, letters, and symbols. If available, you can use the guest checkout option instead of creating an account. Also, try to avoid suspicious forms of payment and use a credit card, which usually has the best liability protection. Still, check your bank account statement regularly to look for deviant transactions.
3.Some online offers are too good to be true
Well, we all want to save money when shopping online, but be aware of the deals that seem too good to be true. Unlike Superlight Portable Rechargeable Fluorescent Lamp, which is a great offer and you can now buy it on sale, there are numerous online shopping scams. From the online photograph, it is nearly impossible to tell if an item is faux or the real deal. The only and the most powerful defense against it is common sense and the rule: if it is too good to be true, it usually is. Plus, stay away from subscribing to ads, which can be dangerous and spam your mailbox with malicious emails.
4.Delays in your order delivery
Shopping online saves you money, but if your order delivery is late, it can give you a headache. However, you shouldn't panic immediately, since we are in the middle of the Covid-19 situation, there might be a long waiting time before delivery. Nevertheless, you need to protect yourself, save the receipt, and order confirmation information. If the order doesn't arrive, check the site for contact information and call the merchant. If no one answers and you suspect a foul play, report the company.
5.Be suspicious with selling offers in your email
There are selling offers that you shouldn’t miss, such as CarryMore Reusable Shopping Bags, however, many advertisement emails are usually malicious and pretending to be legitimate businesses. For instance, you might get emails offering you to buy masks and sanitization, but you should be careful with any email or social media post with a COVID-19 related subject, attachment, or link.
Be aware of the cybercriminals while shopping online and keep your software up to date and do not open suspicious emails
6.Be safe online
It doesn’t matter what device you use for shopping online, you need to make sure that your software is up to date so that it can prevent cybercriminals from exploiting a weakness. Thus, keep your browser up to date and do not install suspicious software or plugins.
Due to this global pandemic and with the governments that encourage people to stay at home, people changed their shopping behavior. It has been proven that the COVID-19 virus can't survive the shipping conditions, and thus people from bulk-buying shift to online shopping. However, this situation is a buffet table for cybercriminals. You need to take certain security precautions before going into e-shopping mode. With these tips for safe shopping online during COVID-19, your online shopping will be easy and safe. So, protect yourself and your data and enjoy shopping!