Safe shopping

Online shopping is fast and easy, but the most important action is to take steps to protect yourself when you do it.

What can you do? Always follow the below:

• Check out the reviews of the stores:
  
  • The United Kingdom (UK) has the most advanced e-commerce market in Europe. This is a vast number of addresses and an almost unlimited choice of goods, but not every supplier offers the same high standards. So before you shop or browse in a store you do not know yet, it is worth reading the reviews and finding out what its existing customers think about a given brand. Ratings posted on the Internet can tell you a lot about the current brands/products and the quality of the products offered or products related to the customer.
• Use friendly websites:
  • This is certainly a mistake that can have the most serious consequences. While large online stores have clear procedures and proven systems that allow for safe shopping, it is not difficult to find websites created by fraudsters. Of course, this does not mean that we should choose from the services of less popular online stores. Before committing to e-shopping, it is worth at least primary verification: review the channels on social media, learn about the opinions of other customers, and carefully read the regulations and content of the website.
• Never buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer),

  • Look for the following indicators in your browser's address bar to be sure that a website you are visiting is protected with a trusted SSL/TLS certificate:

    A closed padlock icon to the left of the URL. Depending on your browser and the type of certificate the website has installed, the padlock may be green and/or accompanied by identifying information about the company running it.
    If shown, the protocol at the beginning of the URL should be HTTPS://, not HTTP://
    Note that not all browsers display the protocol.

    Some the web browsers also warn visitors about unsecured websites that do not have an SSL / TLS certificate.
    • If you would like to read more about the SSL protocol, please visit https://www.ssl.com.
• Avoiding public Wi-Fi
  • It is hazardous to shop online by connecting to a public network. Unsecured Wi-Fi networks can be used for man-in-the-middle attacks that allow third parties to intercept sensitive data. Therefore, it is worth turning off the automatic search for available networks and not using the network without encryption. Use a virtual private network (VPN) to be safe,
• No retailer needs your passwords or your birthday to do business. Don't provide any!
• Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month, and regularly check the statements for your credit and debit cards,
• Create a strong password and change a password to protect privacy a few times a year,
  • All kinds of accounts that store sensitive data are of particular interest to hackers, so it is important to use strong and unique passwords. It is also a good practice to change the passwords on all your accounts regularly. It is also not recommended to save login data in browsers and certainly not on devices many users have access to.
• Secure your computer and mobile devices
  
  • The most significant impact on online shopping security is the computer or mobile device you use. Ensure you have an appropriate antivirus protection package on your smartphone and tablet. Currently, there is an increase in the amount of malware targeting mobile devices. Therefore antivirus protection should be a priority for users. Before you start shopping online, it is worth having appropriate security software installed - especially valuable are those that offer application scanning and blocking of suspicious websites and which automatically download updates and ensure data protection on a lost device.
• Be smart if a deal looks too good to be true!
  • Who doesn't like big promotions? It is common among fake online stores to put things up for sale at significantly reduced prices. A new well-known mobile phone model at half its actual market value is unlikely. When buying devices such as smartphones, computers, TVs or household appliances, you should only do it in stores known to us. If you want to hunt these products at lower prices, it is worth waiting for seasonal reductions. Let's not be fooled! It may turn out you get a cheaper or poor quality product than advertised, and it will probably be impossible to recover the money.

If you think a scam has targeted you, you can report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online reporting tool.