In comparing March 2019 to March 2020, there is a 21% increase in online orders.
Also, in a survey conducted by Bazaarvoice, about 41% of the 3000 individuals admitted that they are now shopping what they’d generally have bought in a brick-and-mortar store.
With this rapid improvement eCommerce is enjoying, many fraudsters have been swift to swarm.
Therefore, it is quite essential to stay secure while carrying out transactions online.
To be free from these fraudsters, consider these 6 tips on how to shop safely during coronavirus
Here are Six Tips on How to Shop Safely During Coronavirus
1. Examine the Site Thoroughly
The first tip on how to shop safely during coronavirus is to examine the site you are dealing with.
When operating an online store, the first trust indicator is the website.
You might not genuinely bother about the authenticity of Amazon, eBay, and Target.
Because, they are widely recognized as e-commerce websites.
But, that can’t be said of upcoming e-commerce websites.
People stream to these new websites because price tags on items are often cheap.
What happens if you can’t find trusted reviews of this website online?
And all you have to do is trust your instinct?
Well, you don’t have to make a guess.
There are some moves you will be required to make to examine the website you are dealing with.
Two Basic and Simple Ways to Examine a Website:
Check Lock on the Website
That is to verify if it’s secure.
You need to go a step further.
Why?
Many browsers have changed how a website is displayed.
Therefore, click on the padlock to view the website’s details and certificate information.
Hint: Never use a site that fails to use encryption for the transfer of data.
Ask Questions
Coupled with this first step, you can ask yourself these critical questions.
These questions are going to help you confirm if a website is trustworthy or not.
These questions include:
- Does this website have a return policy listed or terms and conditions?
- Are there glaring grammar and spelling errors?
- Does this website have social media follow buttons?
- Are there reviews on the website?
- Is there a secure site seal?
- Do they have contact information listed (This is important if you want to make further inquiries about your order.)
Answers to these questions will either move you to place an order or not.
Yes, they are helpful guides to help you determine if they should be trusted or not.
2. Protect Your Data
Your data is so precious! You should cherish it.
It is one of the most precious items you have on the internet.
Many suspicious and fraudulent websites might ask for every personal data.
Sometimes the details might seem relevant.
For example, if you want to buy water online, do you need to drop your birth date?
Absolutely no!
But if you are purchasing alcohol, you will undeniably need it.
Before given any personal data, ensure that the request corresponds with your order.
To protect your data, the following tips will help you through:
Resist the urge to divulge more information than you need to
If all your personal information is being requested, do this:
Put a call through to inquire if there is other required identifying information.
And if you can’t, do the best thing─Walk away!
Choose Only Strong Passwords
How should you structure your password?
It must include a complex set of both uppercase and lowercase symbols and letters.
Do not use personal information as a password.
And for multiple accounts, do not use the same password.
Rather than creating an account, use the guest checkout feature available on these websites.
Beware of Suspicious Payments
There are highly suspicious payment forms on some websites.
These include mailing checks or cash or sending money to an anonymous Paypal account.
Using a credit card will be the best if you are concerned about a transaction.
This is because it has liability protection.
Often, check your statements of accounts so you do not have any fraudulent charges.
Also Check Why Online Shopping is Better: 13 Compelling Reasons
3. Update All Your Software
Why would updating software one of the tips on how to shop safely during coronavirus?
Software updates are vital for cybersecurity and digital safety.
The earlier you update your device, the quicker the feeling of security will come until you get another new update.
You are perhaps no stranger to those pop-up windows notification telling you that there are software updates available.
On your tablets, iPhone, or Android devices, you could find the notification when you slide down your notification pane.
For many, it is their custom to click on “remind me later” on the system.
And on their mobile devices, they ignore it until Lord knows when.
If you are shopping online with such a device, don’t fall for the temptation.
You can do it when you aren’t making a purchase.
So, when you want to make your purchase, do well to update it.
It doesn’t matter what device you are using in making the online transaction.
What’s essential is whether the software or app you are running on that device is updated.
It is only when it’s updated that you can prevent cybercriminals from doing the unexpected.
That is exploiting your weakness.
Are you living in a region where you invest heavily in data subscription?
It could make it challenging for you to keep all your software updated.
But, if you get scammed, you might have to lose more than you’d have lost if you had updated it.
So, please keep this particular tip on how to shop safely during coronavirus in mind.
These are two moves you could make to be safe from scammers that take advantage of security flaws:
Do not install any suspicious software.
If you find any software suspicious, do not run it.
Before performing an online transaction, keep your software updated
Your device has to be updated before you make any purchase online.
If you can update all the software you have, never skip updating that device.
4. Be Suspicious of email Deals.
Criminals can convince you to engage in something that will be used to their advantage.
By utilizing a scam email or even text messages, you’ll be made to click a link.
Once you do, that might lead you to an unreliable website where viruses could be downloaded to your system.
And it will result in a password and other personal information theft.
On the phone, the request could be more direct.
Thus demanding that you drop sensitive information like your banking details.
But how do they do this?
They impersonate the firm you operate with and trust.
There are some advertisement emails that you can receive too.
As explained, these pretend to be legitimate organizations.
Offers could be ridiculously cheap.
During this pandemic, you might come across:
Emails requesting that you buy essential items that are on e-commerce websites.
In this type of situation, what can you do?
- Exercise great caution. Especially if it comes with Covid-19 related theme
- Links and attachments must be disregarded. Disregard any unsolicited email from any firm. If you will have to click on it, quickly run a background check on the internet.
A Good Way to Deal With Suspicious Emails
For example, let’s assume that a suspicious email is from a firm we’ll call “Crag.”
Before clicking on Crag’s link, quickly open your default browser and type, “Crag e-commerce review.”
You could even type, “Crag site quora,” Crag site Reddit.”
If you do this, you will understand what people are saying on these and many other popular forums and websites.”
- Copy and paste the link on a Browser. If you don’t have the time for verifying this on forums, just copy and paste the link URL on your browser, maybe one of the browsers you’ve never used for a transaction.
These are some of the perfect ways to deal with suspicious emails.
5. Stay Alert to Deals that are “too good to be true.”
On our list of how to shop safely during coronavirus, staying alert is quite vital!
In January 2020, Kiernan Dunlop posted an article on southcoasttoday.
He titled it:
“If it sounds too good to be true…New Bedford Police Alert citizens to Scam.”
If you read the letter, you will agree that only greed could make a person fall victim to such a scam.
The Police Department advises that everyone be vigilant.
This is vital whenever you check either your mail or a loved one’s.
If a deal is too good to be true, it is.
Time has revealed that one of the best defenses to combat online scammers is wisdom.
My personal experience has shown me that this saying is true.
To have definite common sense, you must not be greedy.
75% of those who have fallen victim to scammers fall as a result of greed.
Some offers are just so ridiculous, but out of desire, many become gullible and get scammed.
Also, there are subscriptions to ads that everyone must be conscious of.
They can be dangerous since they are capable of spamming mailboxes with malicious emails.
When you receive a deal, pause and contact the firm themselves to ensure that the deal is from them.
If it’s a firm you never subscribed to their newsletter;
If you don’t have the time for verification, just simply disregard it.
That will save you more pain and trouble.
6. Act When Orders Delay More than Expected
If you meticulously practiced what you have read above, you should be dealing with a trusted website.
But does that mean that at times, things can’t take different dimensions?
No!
As explained by Shiptrackapp, “shipment delay is uncommon.
But when it happens, it is often an unsatisfying one.
In a perfect situation, the order should be delivered at the stipulated time without any delay.”
Even with trusted websites, late delivery could be a result of:
- Motor Vehicle faults
- Lost packages
- Inadequate Technology
- Weather Condition
- Traffic
- High Volume shipment
All these and many other reasons could lead to a delay in your order.
Nevertheless, when a delay in technology occurs, you shouldn’t just sit.
With a trusted website, you can still exhibit a reasonable level of calmness.
But when dealing with a new website, you would need to take some reasonable steps.
These include:
Checking the Order Confirmation and Receipt
When your order seems delayed, you need to visit the site once again and check out their contact information.
Doing this will enable you to reach the merchant.
Hopefully, if you haven’t been scammed, you will be able to reach out to someone and explain what happened.
In an event where you couldn’t get any response, take the next step.
Contact the Governmental Regulatory Authority in Your Country
These regulatory bodies are involved in the protection of workers and consumers.
These bodies can help you look into this.
If they are scammers, your report will lead to the clampdown of the website.
Thus guiding you and others from a future scam from that particular website.
Also Check Online Shopping Hacks to save money: 8 Remarkable Tips
Final Thoughts
As we expect more growth in the eCommerce sector, more billions of dollars will be spent.
Do your part to record more transactions that will be eventful.
Of course, this could be achieved if the tips on how to shop safely during coronavirus are adopted.
If you have agreed to implement this, advocate it, and educate others too.
It could be to your friends, co-workers, or family relatives.
Coupled with the tips on how to shop safely during coronavirus, check this article that discusses how to prevent internet scams.
Within a couple of minutes, you can finish it up.
It discusses seven valuable points that will keep you safe from being scammed.
Trust
Welcome! I’m Trust. I’m a writer, public instructor, and mobile photographer. I’m passionate about an organized and productive life and have keen concern for folks living with ADHD and those having a slow processing speed. Join me on this journey as we live an organized and productive life!
This is well detailed and worth the read… Thanks
Thank so much for reading and dropping a comment