Mother’s Day is a joyous occasion, and some of us might buy gifts for the special women in our lives, be it mothers, grandmothers, or wives. Unfortunately, during this time, there are thousands of scams online waiting to trick you into stealing your money or information.
In this article, we’re sharing the most common scams to look out for and the best online shopping practices to adopt this Mother’s Day.
Using Credit Cards
When shopping online, DO NOT use your debit card; instead, use your credit card or a third-party system like Venmo.
Your debit card is linked directly to your bank account, and in the unfortunate event that you get scammed, it would be incredibly difficult to get your money back. One bad purchase online can lead to your account getting hacked and drained to the last cent.
On the other hand, Credit cards have extensive fraud monitoring systems that can detect discrepancies in real time. Any suspicious activity is immediately flagged, giving you the opportunity to cancel or continue the payment. Using third-party payment gateways is another viable option as your personal and banking information is hidden from the seller, keeping your account private.
Some banks or credit card companies offer virtual credit cards, meaning the card number, CVV number, and expiration date are only temporary and will expire after a set time. Even though these cards are connected to your account, retailers are unable to see your real card details. If you suspect fraudulent activity, you can also disable the virtual card and reset the details before your next purchase.
Online Shopping Best Practices
These practices are not only good for Mother’s Day, but for any time you’re making online purchases. Make sure to:
1. Shop from Real Websites
Check the website’s URL, contact details, and payment information to confirm you are on the real website and not on a look-alike website created by cyber criminals.
2. Avoid Unbelievable Deals
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you’ve seen a fantastic deal online, do not click on the ad. Go directly to the website and look for the deal there.
3. Do Not Click on Links in Emails
Cyber criminals may send you a realistic email seemingly coming from a trusted brand. Clicking on the link in the email may launch a silent attack that slowly infects your computer. The same rule applies here – if you are interested in the offer, go directly to the website.
4. Use a VPN
Hide your location and web browsing information from snoopers. Check our NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark.
5. Don’t Save your Payment Details
Yes, it is convenient to save your card details on your favorite online store, but if the website gets compromised, your account may be hacked, and your payment information will be available for exploitation.
6. Use Unique Passwords
Create a strong, unique password for EVERY online account you have. That means if you log into 158 websites, you need to have 158 passwords. Don’t give hackers the master key to your accounts. Use a Password Manager to help you keep organized, such as PasswordBoss.
7. Set up Alerts
You can set up SMS alerts so that your bank notifies you of any purchases over a certain amount of money, giving you the ability to report any unauthorized transactions immediately.
Cyber criminals exploit Mother’s Day and other national holidays (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc) to scam innocent victims shopping online.
This should be alarming for your business. If hackers put so much effort into stealing money for low-dollar purchases, imagine what they’re willing to do to get hold of your data.
Do you think your company is not as secure as it should be? Contact us for a FREE Network Security Assessment. We’ll test your current security defenses to identify vulnerabilities and provide you a cybersecurity checklist.
