In the U.S., the coming Thanksgiving holiday means two things, an abundance of food and shopping. Some will brave the crowds and traffic and head out in search of the best holiday deals early Friday morning, and others will shop for them online, on Friday and a good deal more the following Monday.
How to shop safely online this holiday season
Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to retail outfits those words mean cash, lots of cold cash. To the consumer, these retail-created terms mean shopping bargains and one time only deals that can save hundreds of dollars. On top of that, it also means that some will conclude their holiday shopping in one sweep.
According to The eHoliday Survey conducted by Shop.org and Shopzilla, 83.7 percent of retailers will have a special promotion for Cyber Monday, up from 72.2 percent last year. The most popular promotions are expected to be specific deals (38.8%), email campaigns (32.7 percent), and one-day sales (24.5 percent). Additionally, nearly one-fourth of retailers (22.5 percent) will offer free shipping on all purchases.
If you plan to do most of your holiday shopping online, you should take steps to ensure you are safe.
Know the retailer
If you are shopping online for the first time this year, you’ll have a much easier time if you stick to the retail Web sites that you know. Amazon, Best Buy, Think Geek, Target, JC Penny, Overstock, Wal-Mart, and others are all good starting points, and these are just a few of the retail giants who are present online.
If you plan to shop off the grid, purchasing items from the mom and pop stores, you need to make sure that the checkout system is secure.
There are two ways to check this. The first is to ensure that you see HTTPS when looking at the address bar.
(Secure) https://www.some-site-here.com/checkout
(Unsecured) http://www.some-site-here.com/checkout
The reason you want to see HTTPS is, in short, you know the transaction is secured. This means you have a lower risk, not a complete loss of risk, of having your financial details stolen.
Another reason for shopping only with known and trusted retailers is the fraud protections many of them have in place when you checkout online. For example, some of them will use visual cues from EV SSL, a security feature in some checkout systems that turns your address bar green.
EVSSL does not mean your transaction is more secure, but it does serve as a great peace-of-mind reminder that the website you are on is the legit website. Retailers use EVSSL to prove to you that they are who the claim to be, such as Overstock.com, so you do not have to worry about visiting a fake website.
Shopping on eBay
Some of you will shop online at eBay this year. Sometimes you can get exactly what you are looking for at a great price. However, buyer beware is the rule most associated with eBay.
Remember to check the feedback of the person you are dealing with and try to shop within your region.
Remember, if the deal looks too good, it is, so don’t fall for it.
Checkout on eBay will depend on a few things, but the process itself secure. Each auction will list payment details.
Pick your payment with care
When you find that great deal, take care in selecting your form of payment. Never pay by wire transfer or money order unless you have COD options. Never pay with items such as eGold.
In fact, if you are using an online currency to pay for items, stick with PayPal. Some users will warn you off from PayPal, but if used safely there is little risk. PayPal also offers fraud protections for buyers, and several added security features.
One new feature launched in time for the holiday shopping rush is the SMS functionality of the PayPal Security Key. The PayPal Security Key generates a unique security code approximately every 30 seconds on a small electronic token. The new feature adds SMS support so users can receive this code to their phones and use it along with their usernames and passwords to sign in to their accounts.
This layer of security keeps your account safe, and prevents someone from taking control over it because of stolen access.
The PayPal Security Key is part of the VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Network. The PayPal Security Key token and the SMS security codes are now available to customers in the U.S., Australia, Austria, Canada, and Germany.
If you are using a Debit Card to purchase items, such as the check card that works like a Visa tied to your checking account, be careful. Check with your bank and inquire about all of the protections they offer with online transactions (or any transactions for that matter) and see how protected you are.
Each bank is different, so there are various protections out there. However, it is a Federal law that limits your liability for unauthorized charges to $50 if a credit card is used. So if you can use a normal credit card, then you should do so.
There is also a Zero Liability program from various banks and card providers like Visa, so you will want to check into those as well.
Sometimes you can access a “single use” or virtual card from your credit card provider or bank. If you can, you should take advantage of this. The one time only card number is generated per transaction, and if stolen is useless. Obviously this is a great perk, as it keeps you from using your real credit card number online.
Discover, Citi Bank and MBNA each offer a virtual service.
Shopping at work
As is the case every year, many consumers will shop online from the office. Check with IT regarding any policy or rules that relate to this.
While bargain hunting will save you a good sum of money, it isn’t worth your job. Also, some companies might have tips and other safety information when you shop.
Computer security
One of the largest factors that come with fraud online is the lax computer security that exists on some systems.
Remember to update your software often. Update your anti-Virus and update your software that is installed on your computer such as browser updates, Adobe software, or applications.
Layer the protections. Use anti-Spyware, anti-Virus, and a firewall.
Never open random email attachments sent to you from people you do not know. There will be a slew of phishing emails this holiday shopping season centered on grabbing your attention and luring you to a Web site to get the latest deal.
If the email points you to a news item on holiday shopping, visit the retailer directly without following the link in the email. If the story is true, be assured the retailer will proudly display it online themselves.
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