Online Christmas shoppers Be alert!

It is that time of the year again when Christmas is celebrated. Millions of people would be shopping to find the perfect gifts for loved ones, family and friends. Majority of us would be shopping online, maybe due to other commitments or the worry of going out, and then I thought it would be helpful to remind ourselves of some valuable tips to remain vigilant against the danger of online fraud.

Unfortunately online fraud is a massive problem. Reports from the Card Protection Plan (CPP) suggest that there is a victim of online fraud every seven seconds. So it is very important to keep safe and vigilant against these threats.

One of the most important tips I would give is to always shop on secure websites, this means websites that has a small padlock symbol in the right hand side of the address bar that encrypt any sensitive financial information that you input. Websites that start their web addresses with: https//www means the website should be trusted and is secure. If we do shop on unsecure sites, we could be putting ourselves at risk of card-not-present fraud, where card details could potentially be used by fraudsters to take out goods or services in your name.

Another important tip is to always log out of sites once you’ve finished shopping. If you use a shared computer, this means other people cannot go on and use your log-on details to buy their Christmas gifts. And as an extra security measure, if a website offers you the chance to use Verified by Visa or MasterCard Secure Code, then use it. It’s easy-to-use and adds another level of verification, which means you’re better protected against anyone gaining access to your personal card details.

Online fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated and unfortunately Christmas shoppers are a prime target, particularly due to the various sites we visit in the search for that perfect gift.

Here are the CPP’s top tips for shopping safely online:

• Install anti-virus protection, which scans for malicious files that give the PC or notebook a virus
• Install anti-phishing tools, which identify phishing e-mails and links that trick users into giving away private information
• Install an active firewall, which updates and upgrades automatically, preventing hackers from gaining access to a PC or laptop
• Keep your personal information safe. If someone asks for your personal details ask yourself why they would need them – particularly for online enquiries
• Don’t write down PIN numbers, passwords, user names unless you absolutely have to do so, and if you do, keep them to yourself
• If you store personal information on your PC, install up-to-date security software
• Remember the golden rule: identity thieves are experts at spotting an opportunity to steal your identity and all they need are a few personal details so look after them.