The holiday shopping season is upon us. Adobe predicts that 1 in 4 dollars will be spent shopping online this season, representing a 6.7% increase in online purchases. Shoppers enjoy the ease of shopping online, but convenience comes with risks.
Threat actors are finding more ways to access personal and financial information, redirect payments, and compromise online accounts. With the rise of AI, fake websites, fake reviews, and unsecured shopping assistants create more opportunities to steal your data and money.
By knowing how to stay safe online, you can spend more time enjoying the season. Just follow this advice to stay protected.
Stick with trusted retailers
When searching for that perfect gift, make sure you are purchasing from trusted online retailers.
- Check the URL before you click. Look for misspelled words or suspicious domains.
- Skip the email and social media ads. It is best to type the store name directly into the search box to avoid phishing scams.
- Research unknown sites. If you end up on a website you’ve never heard of, look for online reviews of the company and proceed with caution.
- Second-guess AI shopping assistants. These can lead to hasty decisions being made without sufficient verification.
Check out with confidence
When it’s time to pay for your gifts, make sure you are protecting your personal and financial information.
- Use a password manager. If you start an account with a retailer, make sure you use a unique password and store it in a password manager.
- Don’t use your debit card. Credit card purchases have better protection in the event your card information is stolen.
- Decline the auto-save feature. Allowing retailers to save your personal and financial information is convenient for later, but puts your data at risk in the event of a data breach.
Act quickly after an incident
If you suspect that you have become a victim of a scam, act quickly to protect yourself from further damage.
- Reset your password. Immediately change your password on the suspected site.
- Contact your financial institution. This will put a hold on your account and give you the opportunity to dispute any fraudulent charges.
- Notify your organization. If you purchased on behalf of your employer, notify your IT department so they can take appropriate action. If you believe your U-M account has been compromised, report the incident at [email protected].
Happy secure shopping from Safe Computing!
A little preparation and attention to detail can help you limit risks associated with shopping online. Visit Protect Your Online Shopping for more tips, and consider checking out other Safe Computing guidance while you’re there. Happy shopping!
