Global security software company, ESET says South Africans need to be cautious of scammers when shopping online this festive season.
Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of ESET Southern Africa, says increasing numbers of South Africans will be shopping online this Christmas, which means more scammers will be active.
"Be warned - cyber criminals may steal your credit card and bank account details, or perhaps capture and sell personal information for some extra holiday cash."
The company has outlined a few steps that will help online shoppers ensure they avoid getting scammed.
”Like the tune-up your car might be getting before a long drive to deliver holiday gifts to relatives, your laptop may need a little attention before going online for some power shopping,” says ESET.
It adds that cyber shoppers must improve their devices' protection, by updating and patching browsers, operating systems and anti-malware suites.
The second issue is to stick with familiar faces. "Buy from Web sites that have established a reputation for doing what they say, providing accurate descriptions of merchandise, and delivering it in good shape and on time," says Van Vlaanderen.
The company adds that cyber shoppers should be wary of "amazing" deals.
"If it looks too good to be true, it probably is, particularly if it's an amazing offer on one of the hottest products of the season," adds Van Vlaanderen.
“Not all discount vendors are scammers, but ask yourself if the promised savings are worth the gamble (or Google the offer and/or vendor to see what others are saying).”
The fourth element is to insist on secure transactions. When shoppers are in the ordering process on a Web site, they must check to make sure it is using SSL, the standard in secure transactions that shows up in several ways.
”You should be able to see https or shttp in front of the Web address, instead of http. There may also be a lock or key symbol in the browser window. Using SSL encrypts the exchange of information, such as your credit card, so eavesdroppers cannot read it.”
ESET adds that when in doubt, a quick search in Google for the words 'scam' or 'fraud', along with the site name, should tell cyber shoppers if a specific site has a history of problems.
The final piece of advice is to “think before you act”. Van Vlaanderen warns consumers to watch out for urgent deals that arrive in unsolicited e-mail or purport to be from friends on social networking sites.
“If you think the deal is real, open a browser and type the name of the Web site directly into the address bar. This will keep you from getting swept away by scam links to fake Web sites.
"Remember, as in life, there are things on your computer that can seem too good to be true, and holiday shopping on the Internet is no different. Caution may sound boring, but it can pay off."
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