How to shop online securely
The online store concept is by no means new — the first product sold over the Internet was a mushroom and pepperoni pizza, by the famous Pizza Hut restaurant chain in 1994. Since then, it hasn't taken much effort for people to become interested in e-commerce. After all, let's face it, this is one of the most useful concepts the Internet has ever created: you browse a website, choose the items you want, pay for them, and receive your order without leaving your home.
If the so-called e-commerce is already a favorite of the tech-savvy, it became essential during the pandemic. Under absolute social isolation, consumers saw no other option but to buy online. The reverse also took place: stores, unable to open their doors or receive 100% of their capacity, were forced to invest in digital sales. The Internet sales industry soared like never before.
But it's not all roses. As we all know, cybercrime also follows trends like mice follow the smell of good cheese. More than ever, shopping online has become a dangerous task, given the number of frauds and scams out there on the web. In fact, even trusted stores could become your executioner, as data leaks are constant which could expose your credit card. In this scenario, how can you ensure your protection?
How to shield your shopping cart
Of course, there are several techniques that you can adopt in your daily life to continue enjoying the facilities of e-commerce without worry. The first is the most obvious of all: Shop only on websites that have a good reputation. Research the reputation of the online store before closing the deal and make sure it at least has a valid SSL certificate (the famous lock in the browser's address bar). If you come across an obscure, unknown store or complaints about a certain page, get out immediately.
Another golden tip is to be very careful with promotions that arrive via e-mail, social networks, or WhatsApp message chains. Criminals use these channels to spread phishing scams that lead you to highly faithful replicas of renowned online stores. However, making a purchase in this environment means putting your financial data or even your cash (if you choose to pay via deposit) straight into the hands of the digital criminal.
And, speaking of deposits and other similar types of transaction, choose the payment method carefully. For example, the new trend in Brazil is using PIX for payments, which allows immediate transactions. However, prefer to use credit cards, which make your life easier when requesting any chargebacks. Remember that most banks and fintechs today allow you to create virtual credit cards, which are nothing more than an online version of your card that can be enabled and disabled at any time through the mobile banking application.
Take advantage of this feature! It's invaluable to ensure that the worst doesn't happen: In case a store where you made a purchase years ago suffers a data leak, you can simply erase the virtual card used for that purchase and generate a new one to avoid taking any risks.
Article translated from: Como fazer compras em lojas online de forma segura? — Perallis Security
