Top 5 Tips for Safe Shopping This Cyber Monday & Black Friday

Posted By: Helen Monday 23rd November 2020 Tags: ,
cyber Monday

#CyberMonday and Black Friday are nearly here! We’re very excited at LaneSystems as we all love a good bargain, especially a techie related one! We also know however, how to spot a fake Laptop or Software Licence. Do you?

Here are our top 5 tips to help keep you safe whilst shopping online this Christmas.

Social Shopping: Not Always so Friendly

Keeping in touch online has been a lifeline for many during the pandemic, speaking with family and friends on social media, and sometimes seeing “Unbelievable Deals”.  If it looks too good to be true chances are it’s a fake.  Be careful when clicking.  Adverts may appear to be for a luxury brand at rock bottom price when they’re links taking you to a virus download.

Fake Websites: Spot The Difference

A step up from fake ads on social media, fake websites take advantage of mis-spelt URLs.

You may have experienced this if you’ve typed in your bank’s website, getting just one letter wrong, and been taken somewhere else.  Fake websites are a bit like playing spot the difference.  They’ll have all the major features of the real site, but product descriptions may have spelling mistakes or logos may be blurry.   If you find yourself on a fake site shut it down immediately.

Formjacking: Watch Where You’re Going!

You’re shopping on a legitimate site and click to make payment. Formjacking is when a Cyber Criminal hacks a genuine website and redirects you to different URLs during the payment process. Like the bogus website, the fake URLs look similar, but actually steal your credit card information.

Anti-Virus: Are You up to Date?

Not sure if you have anti-virus on your home PC or Laptop? Now would be a good time to check if it requires updating.  Whilst we hope you manage to avoid fake sites, ensuring a good Anti-Virus is in place offers some protection.

Payment – Look After The Pennies

There are usually a range of different ways to make payment online.  The safest is Credit or Debit Card, due to the protection provided against fraudulent activity.   Paying with gift cards online can be risky, as you have less protection. However you make payment keep an eye on your account activity.  If you spot an unexpected transaction, strange or repeated amounts, it’s time to get in touch with your bank to report it.  If they activity is fraudulent your bank will refer you to the Police.