Are you planning to shop on one of the most significant shopping periods of the year? Our staff has compiled a list of ways to be safe from online crooks who are lurking to steal your credit card information.
According to police departments around NJ, as the popularity of Cyber Monday increases and the deals become hotter bigger and better, NJ residents risks of shopping online also increase. According to Toms Guide online journal, cybercriminals love Cyber Monday too, and they work hard to get rich off the massive number of people engaging in online commerce around the holidays.
**Shop from a secure computer**
A computer or Android phone that isn't protected by the best antivirus software is more likely to be compromised by malware. Otherwise, all data entered into or transmitted from that phone or computer is at risk, including all forms of personally identifiable information, credit card numbers and bank accounts. Be sure to keep the operating system and all internet-facing apps updated to the latest software versions.
**Shop using a secure connection**
Data can be at risk during transit if an attacker controls the network or uses packet-sniffing software. Web protocols such as HTTPS encrypt communications, but in some advanced attacks, even those could fall to a "man-in-the-middle" attack.
You should always look for the HTTPS lock symbol in your browser address window when performing an online purchase. But it's not a guarantee that the site is genuine -- many malicious sites now use encrypted connections too.
**Search for deals on retailer sites, not on search engines**
Scammers "poison" search results with malicious or deceptive links. Searching for the best iPad deals? Run a search on the Best Buy, Amazon, or GameStop sites rather than on Google.
**Use trusted vendors**
Hackers can attack any website, but limiting your shopping to established and trusted vendors limits your exposure. Bookmark the most trusted online retail sites to make sure you don't get redirected to fakes.
**Check each website's URL**
This may seem obvious, but you'll want to check each retail website's address, aka URL. Scammers who want to steal your credit card number or personal information will "clone" well-known shopping sites and park them at web addresses that are often just one mistyped letter away from the real thing.
**Don't fall for 'too-good-to-be-true' deals**
Cyber Monday features a lot of incredible, legitimate deals offered by trusted mainstream retailers. But cybercriminals will prey on shoppers' desire for the lowest prices and will try to slip in a lot of fake deals.
Watch out, especially for emails, text messages, pop-up browser windows and Facebook and Twitter posts promising fantastic savings. Clicking on links in the messages or posts could lead to scams, phishing sites, or sites distributing malware. And don't open attachments in emails promising fantastic deals.
**Plan ahead and don't be rushed**
Cyberattacks take but a split second to occur. Sometimes all that's required is clicking on a link in an email. Look for clues to malicious links, such as an extra ".cc" at the end of what would otherwise be a trusted domain name. Take the time to make sure you're on the correct website.
**Review credit-card and bank statements regularly during the shopping season**
Malware can infect credit-card readers in stores, and unscrupulous cashiers often steal card numbers as well. If you find a transaction that doesn't match your purchases, your account may have been compromised. If so, contact your bank or card issuer.
**Don't use debit cards online**
You've got far less protection against fraud on a debit card than you do with a credit card. Stick to credit cards when shopping online. If you absolutely must use a debit card, use the prepaid kind with a set spending limit.
Use unique passwords and login information for every site you visit
Yes, it's a pain to remember all those passwords. But if one of them is stolen, a cyber crook will try using it on other websites. Passwords should be as long as possible and contain a mix of upper- and lower-case characters, numbers, punctuation and symbols -- and passwords shouldn't be reused, especially for any website that handles your money. If you have trouble handling them all, use one of the best password managers.
If you're shopping from a tablet or smartphone on Cyber Monday, use a trusted vendor's app, not a web browser
Vendors have more control over their own apps than they do over mobile browsers, which often don't display the web addresses of the sites to which you're giving your credit card information.
**Never install software on your mobile device from a website link or code**
Software from locations other than the device's official "store," such as Apple's iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store, has a greater chance of being malicious. Even then, check to make sure that the app developer is the official retailer -- a lot of Amazon-related apps in Google Play have no connection to Amazon.
**INFORMATION CREDIT:** FBI.gov, Toms Guide online journal