Junk e-mail is the usual nesting place of "spyware", hidden little applications that the crooks programme to secretly sprout and sniff around your computer for financial data...
The convenience of online holiday shopping is indisputable: You need not concern yourself with time zones, long lines or even what to wear, and price comparisons are a few clicks away.
It is so convenient that almost 70 per cent of online shoppers have no hesitation about entering their credit card numbers on an internet site, according to recent research by Webroot Software. Yet one out of every seven respondents in the same survey has been a victim to some form of online fraud, including stolen credit card numbers or bank account information.
While Webroot, a Colorado company that sells consumer security software, may have a stake in stirring up online fears, its results are statistically sound and echoed across the internet and around the world. The potential risks don’t mean you have to give up your 2 am shopping sprees in your jammies. But even if you are an internet shopping veteran, you can take a few steps to defend yourself against online vermin this year:
Be more suspicious than usual about your in-box. Junk e-mail is the usual nesting place of “spyware”, hidden little applications that the crooks programme to secretly sprout and sniff around your computer for financial data.
Sadly, spyware can be hidden inside of holiday e-cards too, so don’t open those from people you don’t know. And if your children surf from your personal computer, the spyware may already be lurking.
E-mail is also the source of alerts from financial institutions, lotteries or employers that need you to take some action or disclose some information. They look genuine, but they are just “phishing” for some sucker to be drawn in. Sloppy typing or spelling are often cues that they are fakes, but in general, skip the sweepstakes and be extra vigilant of eBay and bank look-alikes.
Lastly on e-mail, just be aware that it is not a secure way of communicating. So don’t send your credit card information or checking account number by e-mail. Buy from a website.
On those websites, look in the internet address in the tool bar of your browser for an “s” at the end of “http” — that last letter indicates that transactions sent from there will be secured, according to ReputationDefender, another privacy company. Look for the padlock symbol in the corner of your browser: another security sign. This is especially the case if you are shopping the web using a wireless hot spot. Public networks like those in cafes and airport lounges are notoriously insecure. And if you’re “borrowing” a neighbour’s signal, well, just think about how easy it was for you to hitch a ride.
For gadget givers, here’s a piece of non-fraud shopping advice from Truphone, an internet phone service company in London: “A phone is for 18 months, not just for Christmas”. In other words, your gift-getters may not be into all the mobile internet bells and whistles right now, but sometime over the life of the phone, they may want to try them. The same applies to other consumer electronics.
