Protect your data while shopping Cyber Monday sales

Cyber Monday shopping overview: 

• Who: Consumers who participate in online shopping this holiday season should be vigilant to avoid scams targeting their personal and financial data. 
• Why: Cyber criminals target online shoppers through a variety of scams, such as through hoax emails and/or text messages, among other things. 
• Where: Cyber Monday shopping occurs nationwide. 

There are a number of steps consumers can take this online holiday shopping season to protect themselves from falling victim to identity theft and credit card fraud, among other things. 

Online shopping, also known as e-commerce, has become an increasingly popular way for consumers to shop, on account of the large selection, amount of available bargains and convenience that comes with it. 

Hackers and scammers, however, have been known to target online shoppers, with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center revealing that, in 2019, online shopping topped cybercrime incidents in half of the U.S. states, PCMag reports. 

With Cyber Monday right around the corner, participating consumers will want to be careful about where they shop, make sure to avoid common scams and keep track of cookies, including ones used by third parties, that track online activity. 

During Cyber Monday shopping, consumers can protect themselves online in a number of ways

Consumers who choose to shop online this holiday season will want to patronize websites they know and trust and avoid giving out too much personal information when making a purchase. 

Another way to stay safe is to only make purchases from websites encrypted with what is known as a secure sockets layer, which can be determined by checking if the URL for the page starts with HTTPS rather than just HTTP. 

When purchasing from a new website or company, it can also be wise to research them on databases such as the Better Business Bureau, as well as to look at online reviews found on sites such as Google and Yelp. 

Consumers can also protect themselves when shopping online during Cyber Monday and beyond by creating strong passwords on websites where they enter credit card information and regularly checking bank statements so as not to miss any suspicious transactions. 

It is also a good idea for an online shopper to install antivirus software on their computers and update them regularly so they can function at the highest level. 

Consumers shopping from a public WiFi should also make sure to only use trusted networks, and, whenever possible, use a private network to be extra cautious. 

In general, shopping in public can present a higher safety risk than shopping in private, and, if planning to make purchases using a credit card, it is wise for a consumer to sit in a way so that no one can see over their shoulder to snoop at their screen. 

Common online scams incorporate hoax text messages and/or emails 

In addition to being careful about where to shop, consumers will also want to be on the lookout for common scams hackers use to attempt to steal sensitive personal or financial information, TechRadar reports. 

Cybercriminals may use email or text messages asking a consumer to double check their order details or update their delivery instructions. 

Hackers also use what is known as a fake delivery scam, which is when a cyber criminal pretends to be a delivery company as a way to obtain personal or financial information. 

Consumers should also keep an eye out for scams involving fake gift cards and charities, along with suspicious websites that contain frequent popup ads that direct a consumer to a promise of a discount or sale. 

Cookies can present a privacy risk to consumers shopping online

Consumers planning on Cyber Monday shopping this year may also want to learn about the aforementioned cookies, which are used to track online browsing activity but can end up posing a privacy risk. 

Look out for session cookies, which stay in your device’s temporary memory, and persistent cookies, which are stored on your device’s hard drive, sometimes permanently. 

Persistent cookies that track online activity across the internet are known as third-party cookies and are generally the ones that can end up violating the privacy of a consumer, Business Insider reports. 

Do you plan on Cyber Monday shopping this holiday season? Let us know in the comments! 

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