According to eMarketer, global e-commerce sales will reach an all-time high of $5.5 trillion in 2022. A new study by marketing software company Wunderkind has revealed that 71% of US consumers plan to shop online this Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday.

With this increase came more opportunities for identity thieves, hackers, and scammers to get hold of customers’ financial information. When the International Association of Certified Public Accountants conducted a survey in December 2020, nearly one in five respondents said they had been the victim of identity theft or attempted identity theft in the last year. Chris Bluvstein, online security expert at VPNOverview.com, shares his top 10 tips for staying safe while shopping online this holiday season.

Stay connected to websites you know

A Google link promising a great deal might tempt you, but look at the title before you click. ‘Don’t go there if it’s not something you know,’ said Bluvstein.

“hackers can use names that look like street brands to trick you into giving up your details, so double-check a site you know. Google also tells you if you’ve visited a site before, so it’s worth your time and checking for these details,” he said. .

If you shop from an unknown site, Brianne Capp, director of IT security at DeVry University, said there are a few warning signs to look for to determine if a website is safe:

• The site looks unprofessional or has a bad design.
• The links are broken or disabled.
• No contact information is provided.
• The return or privacy policy is unclear or does not exist.
• Products have incredibly low prices.
• Credit card identification is requested for additional reasons unrelated to your purchase.
• Shipping and surcharges seem unusual.
• There are too many or no negative reviews on the site.

Check the URL string

“Make sure the website you’re browsing is secure by looking for a ‘lock’ icon next to the web address,” Cap said as part of the online shopping advice posted by Devry.

“If a website doesn’t have any of these, don’t give out your bank details or valuable information,” Bluvstein said.

Check your bank statements

By making it a habit to check your bank account and statements, you will be able to detect any suspicious activity early on. Your bank will be aware of any time limits for reporting fraudulent purchases, so be sure to check your statements.

use a password manager

The safest thing you can do is to use a unique, random password for all your accounts. But instead of writing them down on scraps of paper or notebooks, use a password manager to keep them all in one place, Bluvstein said.

“Password managers lock your information with a master password, and many of them automatically fill in your website login information for you, protecting you from keylogger attacks,” he said.

The National Cyber ​​Security Alliance reiterated this recommendation and also recommends enabling multi-factor authentication whenever possible.

“(Multi-factor authentication) will strengthen your online accounts by enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics or a unique one-time code sent to your phone or mobile device,” said the Association’s online shopping guidelines.

Do not shop on public Wi-Fi

While it may be tempting to jump to your favorite shopping site while drinking coffee at a local cafe, Bluvstein said, using this public Wi-Fi connection is extremely dangerous. “Public Wi-Fi rarely has security protocols like passwords, and hackers can steal unsafe banking information and sensitive information without your knowledge.”

Use mobile payments

Apps like Apple Pay and Google Pay can protect your bank information, so if a website accepts them it’s best to use them instead of your debit card.

Or use a credit card

If something is valuable, do not pay for it with a debit card, experts say. This is because credit cards have more fraud protection than debit cards.

Create a temporary bank account

By opening an online bank account, you can control the amount of money you can access via transfers from your regular account. That way, even if your data is compromised, the hacker won’t be able to do anything with your real bank account, Bluvstein said.

use VPN

A VPN protects your data from prying eyes. Everything you send is encrypted, so even if a hacker sees you online, they can’t access your sensitive information. “VPNs connect you to a remote server and hide your IP address. You can make online shopping extremely secure by using one of our other tips,” said Bluvstein.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Beware of ads of surprising offers. You may never receive this item or there may be hidden dangers. This old adage still applies to online shopping.