If the cost of living crisis has you looking for ways to stretch your budget further, you’re not alone. Australians across the country are feeling the effects. For many, this can overshadow the typical excitement of the upcoming holiday season and worry about how it will impact their bank account.

At times like these, scammers are well aware of our concerns and are gearing up for a lucrative holiday season. It’s more important than ever to remember that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. But skepticism is not enough: we also need up-to-date information.

Follow and implement our guide below to have a scam-free holiday season this year.

Avoid Wi-Fi and public networks

Public Wi-Fi is often free but generally not secure. We will avoid the technical aspects of how unsecured networks work, but you should be aware that they are accessible to anyone who might swoop in and steal your private and financial information. Instead, make sure you always use a virtual private network (VPN) when browsing and shopping online.

VPNs are a very profitable investment against scams. Considering that you can mitigate the VPN Cost with only one coffee less per month, equipping yourself with this cyber tool is obvious.

What exactly is a VPN? VPN technology works by creating a private, impenetrable tunnel between you and a secure server. Your data is encrypted with a VPN, so even if it were accessible, it would be useless to fraudsters. With this in mind, VPNs are truly essential to protecting your information when shopping online.

Buy directly from authentic retail sites

Australians lost more than $6.2 million in 2023 to online shopping scamsmany of which were misleading offers and counterfeit products. Everyone has different online shopping styles. Some of us like to browse social media for ideas. Others browse online marketplaces. No matter how you approach your search, make sure you always go back to the original retailer or a genuine, trusted retail site when you buy.

Once you’ve found the perfect gift, you might be tempted to shop around for the best deal online. If you do this, be careful about the site you land on. Many sites may pose as authentic and distribute counterfeit versions of the original or take your money and never ship the product. To stay safe, go directly to the original brand’s website or to reputable retailers.

Check for grammar errors and poor site design

Further to the point above, scam sites often attempt to imitate genuine sites. When you are on an e-commerce website, some key clues that it is a scam website are grammatical and typing errors and poor website design. If the site speed is slow, the design is inconsistent, the images are low quality, or any other design elements cause concern, it may be fake.

You should also check the URL to make sure there are no suspicious additions. To check if the URL matches the official brand, enter the brand into a search engine and check if the URL matches. For example, if you’re buying a pair of Nike shoes, make sure the page you’re on is www.nike.com and nothing else.

Think before clicking on links

Vigilance is a key theme throughout this guide. If you shop online, you’re probably already familiar with many tech scams, like phishing emails. What is often overlooked in these discussions is how phishing emails have spread to text messages, pop-ups, ads, and even phishing text messages. market messages. These communications may appear to be specifically addressed to you, often offering discounts, gifts, or requests to view photos. They might even imitate the name and address of someone you know.

Again, stay alert for text messages, emails, and pop-ups directing you to a new page, no matter who it comes from. If it is an email, you can carefully check the email address or cell phone number and hover over the link to see the actual website address. If something seems suspicious, delete the message. If in doubt, you can contact the company or person directly through their official channels.

Use secure payment options

Genuine retail websites will include secure payment options in their checkout forms. If you want to be more secure, choose to pay only via PayPal or a credit or debit card. If you are not sure which platform the e-commerce site uses, search for the software in your search engine for more details. Always avoid retailers that ask you to pay only with gift cards or cryptocurrency.

Check reviews

If you found a good deal from a secondary retailer, do your research and read reviews to verify the authenticity of the retailer. You can check the Google reviews of the website for customer feedback. It is a good idea to check if the website has been associated with scams by entering the name of the site into your search engine and including the word “scam” in the search.

Monitor your account activity

Between now and Christmas, your bank account may move more than usual. It’s normal. But in times of sharp fluctuations and payment delays, it is difficult to notice discrepancies. This is the best time to monitor your bank account activity to spot any unusual transactions and report them to your bank as soon as possible. This can help your bank detect fraudulent behavior, document the case, and refund the money.

Knowledge, software and vigilance: the best defense against holiday scams

Fraudsters are becoming more and more innovative and are using more channels than ever. Fortunately, their attempts may be met with a defense of equal intelligence and courage. Staying informed about common scams and how to best combat them, as mentioned in this article, can keep you safe. By using a VPN when shopping online, staying vigilant about where and how you purchase items, and avoiding clicking on suspicious links, you can enjoy a stress-free holiday season. And scams.

Image: Supplied

This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Digital Next