2020 is the year where many people have turned to online shopping in a major shift in consumer behaviour. Of course, much of the change has been driven by the Coronavirus pandemic out of necessity.
But online shopping is not without some risks. In the period from 1st January 2020 until 31st October 2020, 489 Online Shopping Frauds have been reported to An Garda Síochána. The average loss was €2,306 per incident representing an overall loss to Irish citizens of €1,127,972.
With Christmas fast approaching and Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, we wanted to offer you some practical tips to shopping securely online and protecting your finances.
Ireland can be a lucrative market for online shoppers. Over the past 4 years, Irish households consistently have ranked among the top spenders in the EU when it comes to Christmas.
The following tips are designed to help you consider and avoid some of the common risks that can result in fraud and excess charges to your online shopping experience.
- Buy from trusted sources
- Understand risk and think twice before purchasing
- Check the seller’s reviews and ratings
- Ensure data transfer is secure
- Save all documents related to online purchases
- If you don’t make a purchase, don’t leave identity or card details behind
- Check the website payment security
- Never send card details by email, text or other messaging methods
- Don’t send money to someone you don’t know – check first
- Use credit cards when purchasing online
If you suspect suspicious credit card or debit card activity, contact your card provider immediately and report it.
Comments are closed.