As the holiday season approaches, fraudsters take advantage of shoppers looking for online deals and digital gifts. Here are some ways you can spot scams and stay cyber-safe while you get those holiday deals!
Signs of a scam
- Poor website design: Watch for blurry images, typos, and sites missing return or privacy policies. If you want to dig deeper, you can even look up when a site was created – a brand new website could be a sign of a scam.
- Low (suspiciously low) prices: If the prices are way too low, the goods may be counterfeit or the store might accept your payment but not deliver on the promised shipment. We love a good deal, but sometimes it’s too good to be true!
- Store is missing key company information: Legitimate e-commerce sites will have some key ingredients: a return policy, a privacy policy, and contact information (an address or phone number at minimum).
- Store asks for too much information: It’s normal to enter your shipping and billing info to an online retailer. But, there is some information you should never share: SIN number, your mother’s maiden name, or any other sensitive information not needed for a normal purchase. A site asking for this info is almost certainly a scam.
- “Delivery notice” scams: Fake delivery notice emails and SMS messages circulate more during the holidays. Be way of messages claiming to be from Canada Post, UPS, FedEx, and other shipping services; especially if they ask for a payment.
Best practices
- Buy from stores and brands you recognize: This is especially true for electronics. We get it — that knockoff laptop comes at a fraction of the price of its branded counterpart, but those low-cost gadgets often aren’t worth it. You might be sent a dud that doesn’t turn on or doesn’t work as promised. At worst, they may contain security threats that try to steal your personal information or download malware to your devices.
- Read the reviews: Low-scoring reviews can help you identify scam sites. But be wary if you’re seeing only 5 stars – no product is ever perfect, so if you’re only seeing rave reviews, there’s a good chance it isn’t real. Fraudulent vendors will often have fake reviews to try and legitimize what they’re “selling”.
- Cyber Safe gift giving guide: Gifting a smart device or other electronic? Check out Get Cyber Safe’s gift giving guide.
Comments are closed.