Welcome to the 24 Days of Cyber Safety! This holiday season, we’re bringing you daily tips to help you shop smarter and avoid online scams. From spotting fake deals to securing your devices, each insight is designed to keep your celebrations stress-free and cyber-safe. Stay tuned every day for practical advice to help you stay safe this Christmas.
Day 1: Shop on trusted, familiar websites
Shopping on well-known, reputable websites reduces the risk of falling victim to fake stores or fraudulent sellers. Trusted retailers have stronger security measures, verified payment systems, and better customer support, making your experience safer and smoother.
Tips:
- Consider how familiar you are with the website you are buying from.
Less familiar or completely new websites can still be perfectly legitimate and many smaller retailers offer excellent products and service, but using them means it is sensible to carry out a little extra checking. Look for clear contact details, returns information and independent reviews to confirm everything is in order before you enter any payment details. - Take a moment to judge whether the website looks genuine and trustworthy.
Look for signs such as consistent branding, well-presented pages, up-to-date information and a correctly spelled web address. Scam websites often cut corners, so small details can help you notice when something does not seem quite right. - Check that the website uses HTTPS and pay attention to any warnings from your browser.
Most reputable websites now use HTTPS as standard, and it is less common these days to come across a shopping site that does not. The absence of HTTPS does not automatically mean a site is malicious, but it does mean data sent between you and the website is not properly protected. If your browser warns you that a site may be unsafe or that the connection is not secure, treat this as a serious signal that something may be wrong. In these cases it is best to avoid entering any personal or payment information and consider shopping elsewhere.
Come back tomorrow for Day 2...