Online Shopping 101: How to be Safe

Student Blog: Uday Matta

January 29, 2020

Be it for a birthday, graduation, holidays, or pretty much any special occasion, people are always on the mission to find the right gifts for their loved ones. In the olden days, we would have to jump in the car and drive to the nearest store to find the perfect gift. In modern times, however, we all boot up the computer and find our preferred online retailer.

While shopping online helps us avoid long lines and crowds, criminals also see this as an opportunity. The sensitive information we share during those transactions can expose us to risks.

Before you jump on the internet and start your next round of shopping, we want you to learn some smart shopping tips to help prevent you from being scammed:

Did you know? Fun fact.

Shopping is cyclical, like the weather! Events like back to school, Halloween, Winter Holidays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Valentine’s Day represent huge increases in shopping activity.

Unfortunately, when shoppers are out and about – so are the bad guys. In 2019, up to 43 percent of online shoppers stated that they were a victim of identity theft during increased shopping events as described above.

How to protect yourself while shopping online:

1. We recommend using credible companies (like Amazon, Macy’s, Walmart) that have a large presence and customer service teams in case anything goes wrong with your order.
2. When shopping at a website, pay close attention to the domain name of the website and make sure it has https at the beginning, which means it is has secure data transmission between you and the vendor.
3. Check the URL for typos & make sure you are on the correct site. Correct site: https://www.amazon.com | Fake site: https://www.amozon.com
4. Always use a credit card. Credit cards are more secure than paying with your debit card or prepaid card. Customers can cancel the order, alert the credit card company that the site was fraudulent, and hopefully prevent loss of money from their actual bank account in this manner.
5. Make sure not to store credit card information if given the option. Some e-retail websites may not be equipped to secure your information.
6. Do not make purchases from public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi is not secure, and a cybercriminal can intercept communications between you and the vendor.

The fight is NOT over yet

There is an increase in “porch pirates,” or thieves that steal packages from people’s doorsteps. Once your order is complete and you are entering your shipping information. Make sure to ship it to a secure location, such as PO box or to your work.

We hope you take these steps to help prevent yourself from being scammed or having your information stolen! If you are a member of the UTD community and suspect that you are a victim of identity theft, contact the UTD Information Security Office for tips and next steps.