Rek Your Cheque: Avoid the risk of online shopping

Covid-19 has undoubtedly changed the way people shop.

Many people don’t want to expose themselves to crowds and queues and have opted to do their shopping online.

Online shopping is expected to reach its peak with Black Friday happening this weekend.

I would really advise you to not go online to do shopping for the very first time on Friday, 27 November.

Rather visit the online shopping platforms of the retailers you would like to buy from ahead of time and familiarise yourself with the layout of the site.

Tips for online Black Friday shopping:

• If you are a new online shopper, it would be advisable to create a profile ahead of time.

• If you are an existing online shopper, make sure your profile (including card details) is updated and ready to go for when you want to make a purchase.

• Start comparing prices of the goods you want beforehand, so that you are able to recognise a good deal online when you see it.

• Set up a wish list of items you are interested in before the time and also allocate a maximum amount that you would like to pay for it.

Let’s not forget that skelms are also waiting for Black Friday. Here are some safety tips when shopping online:

• Don’t let the adrenalin and good vibes of finding something you really want get in the way of your common sense – if a discount looks too good to be true, it often is.

• Make sure the software on your desktop, laptop or phone is up to date, and that you have anti-virus software installed.

• Buy big ticket items from reputable dealers. If you don’t know the store well, read their customer reviews on social media, look up their business address and phone number and check that they really exist.

• Social media marketplaces can be a great place to find Black Friday bargains, but it is also a place where you can be easily conned. Check out the profiles of sellers, look at how long they have been around, and check their reviews and ratings from other customers.

• Cyber criminals often use the urgency of a sale to trick victims into clicking on dangerous links or parting with their personal and bank card information.

Don’t simply click on emailed links to competitions or discount vouchers, especially if they want you to do so in a particularly quick time-frame.

Watch out for deals that say something will only be available for 10 minutes or for the first 100 people who respond.

• Cyber criminals are

Don’t simply follow links from emails – rather go directly to the retailer’s website. Be cautious about downloading email attachments claiming to be price lists or vouchers.

• Always keep your confirmation email and proof of payment emails after making the transaction.

• Be wary of any of the traditional scams that escalate at this time of the year.

1. Vishing scams

Someone pretending to be from the bank will call you. They will then ask you to update or verify your banking details.

Very often, they will tell you that they are from the fraud department of the bank and that money has fraudulently been withdrawn from your account.

They will explain that they urgently need to confirm all your details so that the money can be returned to you.

By now, you are in a state of panic – and it is at this stage that you would normally give all your details, including your pin.

These criminals are so brazen and so clever, they will even go as far as to ask you to call them back to confirm that you are actually speaking to someone from the bank.

Sophisticated fraudsters will then have that call diverted to the bank’s real call centre, but by then it is too late. They have all of your details already.

2. Phishing scams

This is the email version of the telephone vishing scam. Fraudsters will send you emails which claim to come from a bank or a reputable email service provider. The email will sound urgent.

It will most likely say that you have to follow their instructions immediately as you have been a victim of fraud. Then they will ask you to click on a link in the email.

Once you do that, you are taken to a fake website. Of course, the website is designed so well that you can’t easily see that it’s fake.

Here is where true crime happens. Once they have you on their fake site, they will ask you to share your login or banking details.

When they have captured this information, they can defraud you – stealing your money or identity.

3. SMSishing scams

SMSishing, also known as smishing or SMS phishing, is similar to vishing and phishing but uses SMSes to scam you.

Here they will send a link to you via SMS, but follow the same methods of trying to get your personal details. Do not click on SMS links unless you trust the sender.

Your bank will never ask for your account details, password, ATM pin or OTP (one time pin) via phone, email or SMS. Ever.

No one can afford to lose money to scams and con men.

Be vigilant and rather be safe than sorry.

Moeshfieka Botha is Head of Research and Consumer Education at National Debt Advisors. For more debt and personal finance information visit www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za