The best tips for safe online shopping

Shopping online is fun and convenient: from the comfort of your home or office, you can buy everything you need, read reviews, and compare prices. However, online shopping is not without its risks.

From misleading offers to the risk of compromising our data, we must take steps to shop online safely, so we bring you the best tips to achieve this:

1. Buy from well-known websites: It's much better to shop on websites you know and trust. Bookmark your favorite shopping sites for quick and secure access. Avoid typing the name directly into your browser's address bar, as even a small typo could lead you to a fake site that looks just like the real one.
2. Check out the reviews: Don't forget to check the website and product reviews. You can search in chat rooms and even call the phone number listed in the contact section. To shop online safely, make sure you're on the company's official website, as scammers create fake websites to steal user information.
3. Beware of incredible offers: Did you see an ad offering incredibly low prices or a dazzling deal? If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Compare prices before you buy. Unusually low prices could be a red flag.
4. Do not use public Wi-Fi networks: Avoid shopping over public Wi-Fi. Online shopping often requires providing information that an identity thief would love to get hold of, including your name, address, and credit card number.
5. Use a VPN: If you ever use a public Wi-Fi network, protect yourself with a VPN. A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the server and is the only way to shop online securely over public Wi-Fi networks in airports, cafes, and other public spaces.
6. Beware of email scams: You may receive emails or text messages with incredible offers or claiming there was a problem with a package delivery. Delete suspicious messages from unknown senders and do not open attachments or click on links in the messages because they could infect your computer or phone with a virus.
7. Choose strong passwords: A strong password is like a lock that keeps cyber thieves out of the accounts where you store your private information. To choose a good password, use a complex combination of lowercase and uppercase numbers, letters, and symbols. Or consider a long passphrase that you can remember and that others are unlikely to guess. Don't use personal information that a thief could easily find or guess, such as your child's birthdate, your dog's name, or your favorite sports team.