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Online shopping a boon or a bane!

Shikha Dutt

It's all about the E-commerce.

I am sure you would have heard of this saying a million times. In my opinion, Online shopping is a boon. Come to think of it, especially during the pandemic, more people prefer buying goods, especially grocery items, vegetables, and other daily needs from online platforms. In the pre-pandemic era, our dependence on e-commerce and online shopping was limited but since the pandemic, it has increased manifolds.

According to reports, e-commerce companies have witnessed about a 20-30 percent spike in orders as customers are avoiding visiting crowded places.

While e-commerce/ online shopping has been convenient for most of us. We cannot deny that it has increased the surface area for fraudulent transactions. The percentage increase in e-commerce frauds has been substantial. Online transactions have been repeatedly in the headlines for negative news. With the increase in online sales and discounts, cybercriminals wait to trap customers who are trying to get the best deals.

• Phishing Scams - These happen to be the most common cyber threat involved with online shopping. Sometimes cybercriminals make fake pages that resemble the original site. There is a possibility that a buyer during the time of checkout will enter their card details and become a victim of a phishing scam.
• Ransomware - On the other hand in a ransomware attack, cybercriminals or hackers will restrict your access to your own device and demand a huge ransom to remove the restriction and allow you access again. Cybercriminals will use website pop-up advertisements and phishing emails that contain malicious attachments to trick online shoppers into opening them. Such pop-ups and emails usually contain unbelievable deals which if clicked on will either lock the screen or encrypt files.
• Financial Frauds - Another very common threat is financial fraud. These have affected e-commerce since its inception and are on a rise now. Cybercriminals or hackers make authorized transactions and steal money. Some of them even file for fake refunds.
• Fake Reviews - you know almost 18% of the reviews you read on the e-commerce portals are fake. Yes, do not follow these reviews blindly, and make sure you do your due diligence before any purchase you make
• Deals that are too good to be true - Any portal/ e-store that promises too much at too low a price is always suspicious. If the price is too low, consider whether the seller has sourced the items legally and ethically or the item is a replica of the brand it portrays to be.
• Unsecured Site -Before entering any personal or credit card info onto a shopping site look to see if the web address on the page begins with "https:", not "http:" That little ’s’ tells you the website is secure and encrypted to protect your information.
• Data & Identity Theft - Customers’ personal data could be compromised and used for spamming identity theft, and unsolicited marketing

Don't worry, we always share the solutions with you. And if there are threats, Safehouse Tech will list down many ways in which you can protect yourself. So read up and enjoy shopping

• Be vigilant and search the internet safely
• Make sure the link starts with http/….
• Change passwords of your accounts every fortnightly
• Try keeping only one card ( debit/credit) for online shopping
• Try avoiding the usage of public wi-fi or hotspots
• Use only one dedicated email address for online shopping
• Activate a VPN
• Make sure you have BodyGuard installed on your device

And now my friends you are ready to go crazy and buy the world. Let the online shopping begin…

Keep Safe!
SafeHouse Tech