Cyber Monday is a great time to score on big deals; however, cyber criminals use this day to try to score big with your wallet and personal identifiable information as well. As you shop online, especially throughout the holiday season, remember these few tips:
Before You Shop
- Enrol in payment alerts. Some card issuers offer payment alerts so you are always aware of your transactional activity.
- Find a secure network. Avoid public Wi-Fi at all costs and use a virtual private network (VPN) where possible.
- Beef up your device security. Update your software, strengthen your passwords, and enable multi-factor authentication to ensure the best defence against cyber attacks.
While You Shop
- Avoid too-good-to-be-true scams. Scammers use fake deals to lure you in; stick to trusted merchants. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it is!
- Verify websites. Avoid clicking on links in your emails. Instead, go directly to the retailer’s website and only shop on secure websites beginning with “https://”.
- Use secure payment methods. Rather than using a debit card, consider using credit cards or secure digital payment platforms like PayPal and SandDollar, which offer additional layers of protection.
After You Shop
- Save your receipts. If you need to verify a purchase or return an item, keeping receipts on hand for at least 30 days could be beneficial. If the item is big-ticket, consider saving the receipt for the length of the warranty period.
- Monitor your transactions. Look at your bank statement regularly for unauthorised charges that slip through.
- Stay alert. Look out for phishing emails. Many scammers will send emails pretending to be order confirmations.
For more information on financial safety as you shop, please visit our website. Happy shopping!
