Online shopping is pretty much easier than outdoor buying as it saves you from the hustle and bustle of the market. Everything is at your fingertips and all you have to do is choose a product, add to cart, proceed to check out, and then wait for a few days.
Since Christmas and the New Year Eve are around the corner, there will be special deals and discounts, but there will be a lot of crowd on the store you shop from. The rush of the people during the season and the Internet fraud together poses a threat to the customers. So, there are few things you should keep in mind so that you can be saved from the scams while shopping online at Christmas. Have a look!
- Trust your Gut Feelings
To be honest, there is no exact way to detect the Internet fraud; being smart is the only key. There’s no doubt in the fact you get allured by the rushing of discount-related emails and text messages from several brands and you feel like buying everything, but it can be a ploy.
Whenever you receive a message or an email, check for the official website of the brand first. Go to their “About Us” page and read. The fraudulent parties are smart enough to copy the website just as the original one. All you can do is be smarter because the copied thing leaves its mark somewhere. One thing you can try is to call the service and ask about the particular deal you are looking for. Be smart because it can be really traumatic to empty your account without receiving anything at your doorstep.
- Buy ONLY from Renowned Stores
The easiest way to save yourself from fraudulent activities is to buy only from the stores you have bought from before. If not, then use the websites that are highly trusted by the customers (reviews will guide you or you can always ask your friends and colleagues which sites they have used).
If none of these ideas work, you can always install an antivirus that shows you a green light that indicates whether or not the website is safe and secure to proceed. It helps a great deal!
- Check a Few Things Before Checking Out
Do not rush to check out while shopping and check the things below:
- You will find the address bar in green color and the readily visible business name if the site has a certificate of Extended Validation (EV). This means the site can be trusted.
- Check for “https” rather than “http” before the website address on the address bar. This shows the site is using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and it is another way to check if the website is authentic.
That’s it! Keeping the above tips in mind will help you a lot in having a safe Christmas shopping. Apart from these tips, you should always check from where you are buying because most of the online stores have “marketplaces sellers” and they have different delivery times. Since it’s Christmas and there is a huge traffic, delivery times might delay.
