How can you shop online securely?
Article by Australian Cyber Security Centre ©
Every year during the holiday period, Australians spend billions of dollars online shopping. This amount is increasing annually, reflecting our increasing reliance on technology.
While online shopping is preferred by many Australians due to its convenience and range of offers, it comes with risks.
Online shopping is an attractive target for cybercriminals, who use it as a way to steal people’s money and personal details. This is done through a variety of methods such as:
Selling non-existent products.
Collecting personal and financial information.
Installing malicious software (“malware”)
Why should you be secure when online shopping?
It’s important to be wary of shopping scams, as it can be hard to recover your details or money from cybercriminals.
Not only will you be disappointed if your goods do not arrive, you may also lose the money you spent on the products.
How can you shop online securely?
Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to ensure you are shopping securely online:
Stick to well-known, trusted businesses.
Be wary of suspicious websites and deals that look too good to be true.
Watch out for requests to pay with direct transfers.
Be wary of messages about yet to be delivered items.
Learn more about these simple steps through our easy-to-follow guidelines and checklists on cyber.gov.au.