With Cyber Monday around the corner, you are all geared up to grab the exciting deals may for gadgets gift for your kids or for shopping things for yourself. It is a great opportunity to save big on wonderful deals available online.
On the flip side, it is the time when hackers and cyber criminals get into a scene to target online shoppers. Since shoppers are after the deals, they rarely care for security issues while shopping. May be they give their credit card number to grab iPhone X on S$500. Or they would be lured by 90% off being given on LCD TV.
The point is here that cybercriminals are ready to bait out carefree shoppers. It is noteworthy that e-commerce scams shot up by 58 percent this year so far in Singapore. According to Singapore Police Force, most cybercrimes has been operated by foreign syndicates located remotely.
Make sure that you don’t fall for any Cyber Monday malicious gimmick by following the tips given below.
Don’t Click on a Suspicious Link
Avoid clicking on a suspicious link as it may be sent by a scammer. Generally, these emails are luring as they have a promotional link that is seemed to be from a legitimate vendor. They carry malicious malware to be injected into your system to collect the information or corrupt the data. Therefore, you shouldn’t open them. Just delete them. Or you can confirm if it’s really a deal by visiting that retailer’s website.
Don’t Trust Fake Coupons
Fake coupons are likely to occur on social media or WhatsApp during Cyber Monday or other shopping events. To look authentic, they contain an image of retailer’s logo and instructions to claim them. Spoof coupons also promise big off or gifts that are too good to be true. The reality is that they are cleverly designed to trap you.
Here are some more clues that help you identify fake coupons…
- If it sends you to a survey or another site asking for personal info
- If it insists you to download an app
- If it sounds too good to be true (like $75 off).
Prefer Using Mobile Wallets
Scammers can steal information from physical cards using tracking devices on the ATM or POS at a retail store. And this type of fraud is pretty much real in Singapore. Top of that, you are liable to pay at least $100 if you become a victim of credit card fraud.
Give an extra layer to your finances with mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay. This is because they come with a single-use token system to encrypt your card info. The other benefits of mobile wallets include convenience and being easy to use.
No matter if the store is hacked, the info the scammers get won’t be your actual card number. This is why it is more secure and quick than a chip-based transaction.
Shop from Secure Online Sites
How to tell if a site is secure or not? You don’t need to a tech-savvy for that. It is very easy to find out. Just look at the address bar of a website. If it shows a green padlock and it starts with “https” (s in HTTP), it means the site is safe. HTTPS means that the communications between your browser and the website are encrypted or protected.
It also means that you should avoid the websites with “HTTP”.
Verify or Avoid “Incredible” Deals before Trusting Them
Cyber Monday means an avalanche of big deals being offered by the retailers. After all, the event is all about the deals. And you never know when you get into a trap of a hoax deal. Scammers capitalize on the shopper’s desire for the lowest prices by throwing away fake deals. These deals are too good to be true—iPhone X on 90% off or Take Home JBL Speakers Free of Cost.
As most of the deals are not easy to verify, it is better to avoid them.
With the help of these steps, you can ensure that you are not getting into a scam. Stay safe and enjoy your shopping!
