We are now well into the holiday shopping season. Initial reports show robust shopping between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. In fact, news reports show a 20% increase in online shopping on Cyber Monday with $9.4 billion spent this year versus $7.9 billion spent last year. Clearly, more people are taking advantage of the convenience of online shopping.
With the publicity over the past few years of data breaches, phishing, malware, and other techniques used by criminals to steal identity and therefore steal funds from their victims, you might wonder if online shopping is safe.
Online shopping can be just as safe as shopping in a store. Or just as risky. Like shopping in a store, you need to take some practical steps to protect your money and property when shopping online. This posting gives a practical view of the risks of online shopping:
Ask Leo! By Leo Notenboom:
https://askleo.com/online_shopping_just_how_safe_is_it/
The lesson is that shopping online can be safe. You just need to get into the habit of acting safely. Here are some more thoughts about how to shop online safely:
Krebs on Security:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/11/how-to-shop-online-like-a-security-pro/
Fraudsters are constantly experimenting with new ways to trick you as a consumer to give away your private personal information and trick businesses to give over your personal information. The reports you see about new techniques may seem overwhelming. Awareness of these techniques, however, is important to protecting yourself from harm. Police encourage us to be aware of our surroundings, on the streets, in stores, and in our neighborhoods. Being aware online is equally important.
With that, here are a couple of articles that talk about some new techniques. CBS talks about fraudulent websites luring online shoppers:
CBS:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/black-friday-2019-fraudulent-websites-targeting-holiday-shoppers-looking-for-a-bargain/
Consumer Reports talks about a variety of techniques including phishing, malicious apps, and hackers to legitimate web sites:
Consumer Reports:
https://www.consumerreports.org/digital-security/dont-let-online-shopping-threats-spoil-holiday-season/
This Seattle Times article talks about the initial shopping numbers for Black Friday through Cyber Monday:
The Seattle Times:
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/a-record-190-million-americans-shopped-thanksgiving-weekend-most-of-them-online/
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