Online shopping is new for some, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is already a favored way to shop for many. It is easy and convenient, and you can shop from the comfort of your own home.
However, as with anything that involves putting your personal information online, there are some risks associated with shopping online. Criminals count on shoppers not being paying attention to details, like bogus websites and fake offers.
Fraudulent websites will often have a web address that is very similar to a legitimate site, but with one or two letters changed. For example, the web address for Amazon.com is www.amazon.com, but the address for Amazone.com is not legitimate. Or the correct URL for PayPal is PayPal.com, not, PayPall.
When shopping online, you may very well encounter tempting offers from a shopping site you are unfamiliar with. This does not necessarily mean that it is a fake website, but to be safe, do some research before making a purchase. Look for reviews online to see what others have had to say about their experience with the site.
In addition, always check the privacy policy of a website before you shop there, to make sure your information is safe. A legitimate site will always have a clear privacy policy that will detail to you how the site plans to use your information. Be extra careful if the policy states that your information may be shared with “nonaffiliated third parties.” This means that your data could be shared with any company, even if you have never heard of it before.
