With the festive season and Black Friday fast approaching and the pandemic changing the way we shop, many people have turned to online shopping. It’s quick and safe – as long as we take smart steps to protect ourselves from cybercrime.
Cybercrime is any criminal activity that’s carried out by means of computers or the internet. Unfortunately, it takes many different forms – and there are lots of people out there hoping to separate you from your money by way of some or other online scam.
The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) reports that cyber- attacks cost the country more than R2.2 billion a year ‘and are on the rise’, which is why it may be a good time to take steps to protect yourself ahead of the festive buying season.
1. USE A CREDIT CARD: (Or a payment service such as Paypal)
It’s easier for your information to get hacked if you use a debit card. If fraud is committed, credit card companies will usually reverse the charge and investigate. If you use a debit card, you might only be reimbursed after the probe, which can take months.
Related article: 5 Things you need to know about your credit card
2. MONITOR YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS
Regularly check that no suspicious activity has occurred and immediately contact your financial institution if it has.
3. SHOP ON SECURE SITES
To check if a site is legitimate and safe, look for a padlock symbol in the address bar, valid certificates such as VeriSign, and for ‘https’ at the start of the address. The ‘s’ at the end of ‘http’ indicates the site is encrypted – which means your data will be scrambled as it’s entered, to keep it secure.
4. BE CAREFUL ABOUT SHOPPING APPS
Download them from a reliable source such as the Apple App Store or Google Play.
5. BEWARE OF EMAIL SCAMS
Some scammers send out viruses and malware disguised as gifts or special offers at this time of year. Never open emails from anyone you don’t know or from a site you haven’t previously visited. Scammers may also send phoney messages seemingly from your financial institution, saying there’s a problem with your account. Always call your financial institution to verify and never enter your account information if asked.
6. BEWARE OF LINKS ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
Sound too good to be true? It’s probably a scam. Do research online before clicking, and search the business name together with the word ‘scam’.
Related article: 7 Common scams everyone should be aware of
7. STRENGTHEN YOUR PASSWORDS
These should include upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, and be at least eight digits long. As Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development John Jeffery said when addressing Parliament on cybersecurity and the new Cybercrimes Bill in March: ‘A password, ideally, should be used in the same way as underwear – don’t show it to anyone, and change it frequently.’ You can use a password manager that stores all your passwords securely and generates random passwords for you to use. There are various password managers on the market – talk to a tech expert before choosing one.
8. SECURE YOUR DEVICE
Avoid shopping on computers other than your own, including those in internet cafés. Make sure your computer or smartphone has security software and that it’s regularly updated. Use a passcode to access your smartphone, and log off your computer or tablet or lock the screen when you’re done. If you’ve been on a shopping or banking site, log out completely before exiting, and don’t let your device remember your usernames, passwords or credit card info. If you do and someone steals your device or gains access to it, they can access the online stores you use – or access your online banking – and spend or steal your money.
9. DON’T DO FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS IN PUBLIC SPACES
Free hot spots are great, but public networks aren’t secured. Cybercriminals could intercept your online traffic and get your username and passwords. Don’t connect to a café’s free wi-fi, for example, then shop online or do online banking. Because the network isn’t secure, tech-savvy shady characters can easily hack into your device over that network and gain access to everything.
10. REPORT CYBERFRAUD
If you do become a victim of online fraud, report it to your bank immediately, then at your nearest police station, says SABRIC. Possible online fraud or suspicious activity can be reported to the national Cybersecurity Hub by emailing incident@cybersecurityhub.gov.za. Keep abreast of online scams by visiting www.sabric.co.za or www.saps.gov.za – click the ‘Be Alert!’ dropdown.
Related article: Help! My identity has been stolen
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2020, 330 million people across 20 countries were victims of cybercrime - helpnetsecurity.com.
JET CLUB HELPLINES
LEGAL ASSIST HELPLINE
For free advice on legal matters, Jet Club members can call our helpline.
SA & Namibia
0800 0045 45
Botswana, Lesotho & Swaziland
+2711 991 8258
4. BE CAREFUL ABOUT SHOPPING APPS
Download them from a reliable source such as the Apple App Store or Google Play.
5. BEWARE OF EMAIL SCAMS
Some scammers send out viruses and malware disguised as gifts or special offers at this time of year. Never open emails from anyone you don’t know or from a site you haven’t previously visited. Scammers may also send phoney messages seemingly from your financial institution, saying there’s a problem with your account. Always call your financial institution to verify and never enter your account information if asked.
6. BEWARE OF LINKS ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
Sound too good to be true? It’s probably a scam. Do research online before clicking, and search the business name together with the word ‘scam’.
Related article: 7 Common scams everyone should be aware of
7. STRENGTHEN YOUR PASSWORDS
These should include upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, and be at least eight digits long. As Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development John Jeffery said when addressing Parliament on cybersecurity and the new Cybercrimes Bill in March: ‘A password, ideally, should be used in the same way as underwear – don’t show it to anyone, and change it frequently.’ You can use a password manager that stores all your passwords securely and generates random passwords for you to use. There are various password managers on the market – talk to a tech expert before choosing one.
8. SECURE YOUR DEVICE
Avoid shopping on computers other than your own, including those in internet cafés. Make sure your computer or smartphone has security software and that it’s regularly updated. Use a passcode to access your smartphone, and log off your computer or tablet or lock the screen when you’re done. If you’ve been on a shopping or banking site, log out completely before exiting, and don’t let your device remember your usernames, passwords or credit card info. If you do and someone steals your device or gains access to it, they can access the online stores you use – or access your online banking – and spend or steal your money.
9. DON’T DO FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS IN PUBLIC SPACES
Free hot spots are great, but public networks aren’t secured. Cybercriminals could intercept your online traffic and get your username and passwords. Don’t connect to a café’s free wi-fi, for example, then shop online or do online banking. Because the network isn’t secure, tech-savvy shady characters can easily hack into your device over that network and gain access to everything.
10. REPORT CYBERFRAUD
If you do become a victim of online fraud, report it to your bank immediately, then at your nearest police station, says SABRIC. Possible online fraud or suspicious activity can be reported to the national Cybersecurity Hub by emailing incident@cybersecurityhub.gov.za. Keep abreast of online scams by visiting www.sabric.co.za or www.saps.gov.za – click the ‘Be Alert!’ dropdown.
Related article: Help! My identity has been stolen
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2020, 330 million people across 20 countries were victims of cybercrime - helpnetsecurity.com.
JET CLUB HELPLINESLEGAL ASSIST HELPLINE
For free advice on legal matters, Jet Club members can call our helpline.
SA & Namibia
0800 0045 45
Botswana, Lesotho & Swaziland
+2711 991 8258
10 SMART TIPS TO SHOP SAFELY ONLINE
Reviewed by Michelle Pienaar
on
November 09, 2021
Rating:
Reviewed by Michelle Pienaar
on
November 09, 2021
Rating:
