Online Xmas Shopping Quick Tips

Most of us buy gifts online at Xmas and you won’t be surprised to learn that a number of us will get duped by fraudsters.  The following checklist provides some basic guidance to help you avoid the fraudulent sites; especially at this time of year.

• Do not reply to or click links on unsolicited emails, texts or posts.  These may be sent to you from fraudulent sellers and or delivery firms
• Make sure you have used the correct web address
• Do not pay for things by transferring money to people or companies unless you know them. Payment by credit card offers greater protection against fraud than other payment methods
• Before entering your card details on a website, ensure the link is secure: Check the following:

1. There should be a closed padlock symbol in the browser window frame (often followed by the word ‘secure’), which appears when you attempt to log in or register. If the padlock is on the website’s actual page this will probably indicate a fraudulent site.
2. The padlock will be followed by the web address and will begin with https://. The ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’
3. Use the most up to date web browser for your operating system, use whatbrowser.org to make sure you're up to date.

• When you have made your purchase online remember to log out
• And remember that if some deal is simply too good to be true – it almost certainly is!