3 Tips for Safer Online Shopping

According to the FTC, shopping scams were the second-most reported in the US in 2023–and they’re at their worst during the holidays. According to TransUnion’s 2022 Global Digital Fraud Trends report, there was a 127% increase in daily fraud attempts between November 24 and 28 compared to January 1 through November 23.

Volume of orders isn’t the only factor here. According to Norton’s 2022 Cyber Safety Insights Report, nearly one in three adults (32%) worldwide admitted to taking more risks with online shopping closer to the holidays, so if you find yourself clicking “add to cart” a bit quicker than usual, you’re not alone.

Below, we detail three common scams and how to avoid them for safer shopping this year.

The “Undeliverable Package” Text (or Email)

A text comes through alerting you that a package is not deliverable to your house or business. It’s the holidays. You’ve ordered at least 15 gifts in a coffee-fueled shopping push this weekend, so it seems plausible. You click the link. You get malware on your phone.

Avoid this by tracking orders directly through a retailer’s website or app. Avoid clicking links in suspicious messages (especially if they don’t mention a company name), and be cautious of unsolicited delivery messages.

The Gift Card “Deal”

You come across an amazing deal for gift cards at a steep discount. You purchase the cards as gifts. Once you’ve purchased the cards, the scammer uses the card, leaving you out fifty big ones with a worthless card. Alternatively, scammers will request payment for items via gift cards so they can continue these schemes.

Avoid this by purchasing gift cards directly from reputable retailers. Never use gift cards as a form of payment to unknown individuals.

The “Extreme Couponer”

You find an amazing coupon link promising steep discounts via e-mail, social media, or SEO-optimized pages on a Google search. What’s the scam? These coupon links can lead to phony websites made to mimic a legit retailer, or even sites that encourage you to download adware or malware.

Avoid this by looking for coupons with the retailer’s official site and/or app, or sign up for their email list. Also, install a good ad blocker.

Consider Mobile Device Management

Does your team use mobile devices for work? Perhaps the ones on which they also do their Cyber Monday shopping? If so, your business’s documents are right there with anything and everything on their phone—if their phone gets hacked, your company data can be left vulnerable.

The solution? Education and mobile device management. With an MDM solution, you get seamless security for iOS, Android, iPadOS and frontline worker devices. This native endpoint security detects SMS/email phishing, app management, identity management and more.

MDM along with good cyber awareness training can help build a strong security posture. Facet offers an MDM as part of our Advanced Security Suite of products that can be added on to any managed service agreement.

Want to learn more about MDM and see if it’s a good fit for your team? Schedule a call with Trey by clicking here.