With 11.11 online sales happening this weekend, Sophos hopes to take the time to share the following advice to help shoppers keep their personal data and finances safe.
Sophos’ reminders to have a safe and stress-free online shopping experience this 11.11:
- If it sounds too good to be true, it IS too good to be true. There is no such thing as a free iPhone.
- Never fill in purchase details on a website that doesn’t use a secure (encrypted) connection. Don’t be fooled by padlock images in the webpage itself: look for the padlock in your browser’s address bar.
- Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails. Those links could land you on a phishing website or a website that will infect you with malware via what’s known as a drive-by download. Always type in the website address but be careful of mistyped addresses where cybercrooks may be squatting. Bookmark the sites you typically visit for shopping, banking, etc.
- Watch out for sites that ask for way too much information, such as your card PIN – which is not used online – Social Security number or national ID number. And never share your passwords. IF IN DOUBT, GIVE NOTHING OUT.
- Scrutinize your bank statements. Check your bank account transactions regularly for signs of fraud, particularly after making purchases online. If you discover payments that you can’t identify, notify your bank immediately.
