Online shopping has become a popular way for consumers to get anything they want, from household items to holiday gifts. According to Tech Report, in 2022, there were over 286 million online shoppers in the US alone.

Shopping has never been easier for consumers, but there are concerns to consider. The biggest one is the safety of your personal information and your money. Here are some tips to make sure that your Cyber Monday shopping leaves you with only your purchases and none of the worries.

Stick to websites you trust

Sticking with websites and retailers you trust during Cyber Monday sales is important. There are going to be a lot of tempting offers going around, making it an opportune time for scammers to lure people in with deals that are too good to be true. These offers will come from websites that you haven’t used before and probably haven’t even heard of. The deals will be so tempting that you consider making a purchase from them.

During Cyber Monday and throughout the holidays, you are going to see offers that are meant to entice you. Also, according to Tech Report, in 2022, $41 billion was lost to payment fraud. Payment fraud is a legitimate concern of consumers who are sharing their payment information online.

Be wary of good deals

As mentioned, good deals are going to pop up leading up to Cyber Monday. It’s important to question these good deals, especially from websites you are unfamiliar with. Scammers are aware of the deals people are looking at from well-known retailers and will one-up them to get your attention.

If they appear to be selling the exact same items, but at massively lower prices, chances are they don’t have the items to begin with. That’s red flag number one to be aware of.

More red flags include not being able to pay with a secure method such as your credit card, debit card, or payment apps, and the website asking you to pay first in order to secure the deal or discount.

Take the Lock Icon With a Grain of Salt

The closed lock icon has come to represent safety for those shopping online, but the lock symbol actually only informs us that the website in question uses an SSL certificate which encrypts data between two points.

It doesn’t actually signal that the website itself is trusted. This means that consumers may be fooled into thinking a closed lock icon means it’s safe to take advantage of incredible Cyber Monday deals from websites they aren’t familiar with.

Safer PACKAGE DELIVERY

With the increase in online shopping, there has been a noticeable increase in package thefts. This is especially true during the holiday season. Once you’ve made your Cyber Monday purchases, you need to consider safe package delivery.

Tracking when packages are to be delivered is a good start. If you’re going to be home, collecting your packages as soon as they arrive will be no trouble. If you won’t be home during the expected delivery, you can have your packages delivered to your office, if allowed by your employer. Another option is to ask a trusted neighbor to collect your packages. You can also have packages delivered to a family member’s house.

You may be able to configure your home security camera to alert you when a package is dropped at your door so you can retrieve it swiftly.

Cyber Monday shopping should be enjoyed as long as you take the proper precautions. By following the above tips, you can reduce the chances of having your identity, money, or packages stolen.

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