4 smart practices to avoid online shopping scams

The holiday shopping season is of great significance to many retailers, usually accounting for more than 30% of their annual revenue. This is no surprise, because Americans have spent more than $700 a year on gifts over the past decade. And 2021 is expected to set a staggering new record of $886 - the largest budget Santa has earned in the past 20 years.

Such a huge amount of capital flows, criminals will almost certainly want to get a piece of the pie. Some scams are very clever and even the most cautious shoppers can be victims. But just follow some basic tips and good security measures, you can make yourself a harder target and avoid giving unexpected gifts to online fraudsters.

Clean check the promotional email

Now, your inbox can be filled with promotional messages, newsletters and promotions you “can’t miss”. Camille Stewart, Google’s global head of product security, said some emails may offer attractive offers, but you should be cautious rather than diving head-in.

"People should check if the email comes from a public mailbox domain," she said. "Most brands that send promotional mail have a website and will use their domain to send mail. So you should be looking at the ones from Yahoo or Hotmail addresses Promotional emails are skeptical. ”

[Related: Scammers are targeting your calendar – Here are ways to stop them]

If there is an exception to the sender's address or anything else in the email body - such as a pixelated image, a grammar error, or a misspelling - mark it as spam and delete it immediately.

Usually, do not click on the link in the email. Instead, open another tab on your browser, go directly to the store’s official website, and find the offer or promotion you are interested in. Scammers often find legitimate promotional emails, copy them, and replace the link with a link that will steal your data or automatically install malware on your computer.

But we understand – sometimes we feel lazy, or retailers have a hard time finding promotions on their websites, and instead tempt you with non-discounted products. If you absolutely need to click on the link, try hovering your cursor over the link to make sure it matches the link target claimed by the ad or email, Stewart said.

To do this, place the mouse on the link. Some browsers will automatically display a small box with a description or URL of the website that the link will take you to. If this does not happen, check the lower left corner of the browser for the same information. When you see the URL, first make sure the URL starts with "https" - the last "s" is very important to indicate that the connection is secure.

Then, make sure the website domain name matches the store you are sending you an email. A domain name is the main word or phrase in a URL, which you will usually find on the far left, between www. and .com (or .co.uk, .ca or any other top or country region name). It's "amazon" on Amazon.com and "popsci" on popsci.com.

It is also very important to ensure that the spelling is correct. Scammers buy similarly spelled domains to deceive and confuse shoppers, and the differences are sometimes very small, and you won't notice them unless you look closely. Be aware of some tips, such as using 1 instead of i, or swapping letters, which can easily fool your brain. After all, popcsi looks very similar to popsci.

Protect your credentials

One of the most annoying things about shopping online is having to create an account on the seller's website. It makes sense to do this because it protects your data, but it seems like it takes a lot of effort – especially if you are not planning on shopping there again.

Persisting in using websites and retailers you already have an account is probably the easiest way to do it. However, if you shop at a new online store, the best way is to check out as a visitor. In theory, this will ensure that the website does not permanently store your information—from your name and address to your credit card number—and will avoid the hassle of coming up with another password.

If you are shopping from a large retailer and cannot check out as a guest, you can log in with your Google, Apple or Facebook account. Contrary to what you might think, as long as the account is properly protected (with strong passwords and two-factor authentication), this is a safe way to access the website. A retailer will never get your credentials, just get a validation of an identity that proves that you are indeed what you said. The best part is that if you decide not to associate with your shopping site anymore, you can easily revoke access to it. (If you need some guidance, we wrote an article on how to do this.)

However, sometimes you want to buy items from a website and your only option is to create an account. If this is the case, take a deep breath and wait patiently – and use a password manager.

"During the holiday season, the number of websites you create new accounts and the tendency to create holiday-themed passwords make us vulnerable to hacking," Stewart said. "A good password manager can change the game."

Whether you get dedicated apps or use the ones built into your browser (both Chrome and Firefox have), Password Manager is good at two things: Create extremely secure credentials and remember them for you. This way, you don't have to worry about future data breaches that could bring about Christmas ghosts from the past.

If you have a low-risk one-time email address — you only use it for promotions and things you are not interested in — Stewart says now is a good time to use it. If you don't have one, now may be the best time to create it.

Use your credit card

You may use this trick all year round, but it is worth reiterating: For online shopping, keep your debit card in your wallet and use your credit card.

The debit card is a direct link to your checking account and your purchase fee will be deducted from your funds almost immediately. If you are a victim of phishing, scammers may repeat transactions or purchase items elsewhere using your card information to withdraw money directly from your account.

If you experience scams while using a credit card, you will have more time to call your bank and file a claim. Additionally, most major credit cards have some insurance or protections against online fraud. If this is the case, once you notify your bank, you may immediately credit the amount taken by the scammer to your bill.

A great way to keep an eye on all transactions related to your credit card is to constantly check your balance. This means not only waiting for it at the end of your billing cycle, but also developing the habit of repeated checks in your week. If possible, you can simplify your life by setting alerts for every transaction on your credit card.

Most banks will send you emails or text messages each time the transaction amount exceeds a specific amount you determine. By setting that threshold to as low as $1 or 50 cents, you'll even realize those seemingly harmless in-app purchases you keep making in your favorite virtual farm games.

Use only WiFi connections that you know and trust

Listen, we know holidays are busy times, and mobile devices make it easy to buy gifts anytime, anywhere. However, if you are browsing your list while commuting or resting at a local coffee shop, be aware of your connection.

[Related: How to protect WiFi available in your apartment]

In other words, never share sensitive information through public WiFi. This applies to everything you don't want to fall into the hands of criminals: sensitive work documents, sexy photos, and of course your financial information. Stewart points out that any form of public WiFi is extremely unsafe and easily hacked, so you don't know if anyone can access your device or data through that connection.

For security reasons, shop when using your own mobile data or connecting to your own WiFi at home. During this holiday season, you may already have a lot to worry about. Don't let scammers be one of them.

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