Jingle bells, no cyber spells: Staying safe while shopping online this holiday season

Londiwe Hadebe, Service Delivery Manager for Global Support at BET Software.

I love the thrill of online shopping - from the "Your order has been shipped" message to tracking its journey and finally unwrapping it like a surprise gift. It’s a joy many online shoppers know well. But it’s not always that way.

When online shopping goes wrong

Online shopping excitement can turn into a horror within a matter of minutes because the internet is crawling with phishing scams, scammers and cyber threats. No one wants to be a victim of online scams. I always advise people not to do their online shopping while in a hurry, this includes impulse buying. I always ensure that I’m in a familiar, relaxed location, and in that way I can be vigilant and mindful. This saves me from scams and financial mishaps.

Things that can go wrong with online shopping:

• The product may never arrive, or it may arrive and not resemble what was advertised.
  
• Unauthorised transactions may start appearing on your account.
  
• Messages suddenly stop after you have made the payment.

Surviving being scammed

When you realise that you have been scammed, don’t panic. Act swiftly to minimise damage and to try and recover your losses, by:

• Cancelling the payment. Immediately contact your bank to stop or reverse the transaction.
  
• Reporting fraudulent activity. Notify your bank of any unauthorised charges you see.
  
• Changing passwords. Immediately change your banking app login credentials.
  
• Reporting it to the retailer. If the scam happened on well-known and popular shopping platforms, report it to their customer services immediately.

Essential tips for safe online shopping

Here are a few online shopping tips that can ensure you experience a safe and secure shopping journey:

• Check the website. Make sure it starts with “https”. The “S” stands for secure.
  
• Avoid clicking on links. Rather type in the retailer’s name and visit their website directly.
  
• Read the customer reviews, ratings and feedback.
  
• Avoid buying where you will be required to do EFT payments, cash send or where you have to send money via big chain stores or supermarkets.
  
• Never save your card details on any website.
  
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi. Make use of secure networks.
  
• Before checkout, confirm item quantities, size, delivery address, shipping fees and descriptions.

This holiday season may your online shopping carts be filled with joy, amazing deals and the perfect gifts for your loved ones. Remember to shop smartly, safely and to embrace the excitement of shopping for treasures from the comfort of your home.