It’s the holiday season, and just like traditional stores, online stores do a lot of business in November and December.
Unfortunately, scammers also do a lot of business during this season, and staying safe when you’re buying presents online is important.
Fortunately, with protective measures and a little bit of knowledge, you can easily avoid unsafe websites and the scammers who run them.
Here are six ways to tell if a website is safe.
1. Look for an SSL certificate
Secure websites have an SSL, or a Secure Sockets Layer. An SSL is a digital certificate that verifies a website is authentic and will automatically encrypt all personal information and financial data. There are two primary indicators of an SSL, and both are clearly visible in the site’s URL:
- An ’s’ after the ‘http’
- A padlock icon
2. Evaluate the URL structure
Review the URL carefully. Are there misspelled words? Does the URL mimic a well-known site, for example by ending in .co instead of .com? Scammers often lure victims by creating bogus sites that look like they represent well-known companies. However, careful scrutiny of the URL will reveal basic spelling errors that give the scam away.
3. Look for the company’s contact info
Legitimate companies are eager to have you connect with them for any reason. They’ll generally display their contact info on their home page or provide a link for easy access. Scammers, on the other hand, try to keep themselves as invisible as possible. You likely won’t find any tabs that say “Contact Us” or “About Us” on their website.
4. Check the spelling and graphics
Authentic companies will take the necessary steps to make a professional impression on site visitors. Scammers, on the other hand, might not. Use their carelessness to your advantage by looking out for spelling mistakes and typos throughout the site. You can also be on the lookout for cheap design elements, including recycled images and logos that are poorly created. Each of these clues can signify a scammy website.
5. Heed your device’s security warnings
If you put a site’s address into your computer, and a warning pops up alerting you that the site you’re attempting to access is unsafe, don’t ignore it. Unless you’re absolutely sure the site is secure despite the warning, it’s best to not continue on to the site.
6. Opt out of sites that flood you with pop-ups
Scammy websites will try luring you into downloading malware through pop-ups and embedded links. Sometimes, the links will be used to generate ad revenue through clicks. Whatever the intent, it’s important to know that reputable sites will not flood your screen with pop-ups and random links for you to click. If you encounter a site with more than one pop-up, you may be looking at a scam. Exit the site, close your browser and have your security system run a scan on your device.
In addition, we want to remind you that clicking on a shopping link from an unsolicited email can be dangerous. Instead of clicking on the link, use Google to search the company, and then keep in mind the warnings above.
We also recommend that you use your CommonWealth One Signature Rewards or Platinum Rewards VISA card for your purchase, which comes with additional protections against scams and fraud. You can set up purchase alerts so you know if someone unauthorized uses your card.
For more information on keeping yourself safe, we recommend watching the recording of our free webinar, "Protecting Yourself from Fraud and ID Theft." You can find it through cofcu.org.
We hope you have a safe holiday shopping season and find some great (and legitimate) deals on gifts for the ones you love. Thanks for being a member of CommonWealth One!
