Hello 2017! While the New Year has just begun, another exciting festive season awaits. Whether you are shopping for a new piece of clothing for the Lunar New Year, or trying to add something quirky to your house decor in anticipation of the house visits, visiting online shopping sites is a must!
The online shopping ecosystem in Singapore is huge, and you can find just about everything online, from online clothing stores, to books, groceries and just about everything else. But whilst online shopping is convenient and offers a wide variety of products, there are still some to-dos to help safeguard us from falling prey to online fraudsters.
Here are our tips for safer online shopping.
#1 Use Credit Cards and Trusted Online Payment Systems
Link your credit card to your PayPal account to enjoy rewards such as cashbacks, rebates and more!
This year, try checking out your online purchases with PayPal (look out for the PayPal button when you checkout!). PayPal allows you to link multiple credit cards to your account, enabling you to select the most suitable card for each of your purchases while keeping your financial details safe. You still get to enjoy the rewards associated with each card without having to refer to your credit card every time you shop.
When you use PayPal to pay, our
Buyer Protection policy covers you should anything go wrong with your purchase.
#2 Always Shop on Secure Websites
While it may be tempting to get that stylish and super-cheap bag from this website you heard about, stop and do a few quick checks before you click on “Buy”. Look out for the “https” prefix and padlock symbol in the website’s URL. This means that the site is secure and any financial or personal details that you provide are encrypted.
To be extra sure, check if this website has a social media presence (Facebook and Instagram account) and read through the reviews to see if there are any concerns raised by other customers.
When creating accounts at your favourite merchant sites, be sure to use a strong and unique password. We agree that it is often easier just to use a repeat or simple password to speed up the process but this could put you at risk of online fraud.
Still not sure which websites are reputable? Why not check out some of our trusted merchants
here.
#3 Beware of Phishing Emails
During key shopping periods like the Great Singapore Sale, Cyber Monday, and Christmas, you are likely to be swamped with festive e-mailers from your favourite online stores telling you about their fabulous promotions. While it may be tempting to click through, keep a lookout for tell-tale signs that it could be a phishing email.
Check out this video to learn how you can tell a PayPal email from a spoof!
#4 Avoid Online Shopping on Public Wi-Fi
Free public Wi-Fi can be a boon while sitting in cafes or waiting around for friends at shopping malls. It is also risky as many Wi-Fi hotspots are not encrypted. If you are shopping or doing your bank transactions online while on a public Wi-Fi network, you could be in danger of having your data stolen.
To do financial transactions on your mobile device, always use your personal data network. Better to be safe than sorry!
We hope you find these tips useful! Happy and safe shopping everyone!