There is hardly anyone today who hasn’t shopped online. It is so much more easy than going to a brick and mortar store to shop. There are a number of benefits of online shopping –  you can do it no matter where you are, it helps you save time, no extra travel expenses, more variety, etc. However, with a rise in online scams, you must be wary of some things while shopping online. Here, we have listed down 10 tips that will ensure that your online shopping experience is safe. Take a look:

Check for the lock

When shopping online, you must always look for a closed lock icon in your browser window. You will find it next to the URL bar. Click on the icon to ensure that the security certification shows up. This basically is to check the authenticity of the website. Remember that you must never purchase anything using your credit card from a website that doesn’t have an SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption. This can be ensured by looking for HTTPS instead of HTTP in the URL.

Research before you buy from an unknown website

There are scores of online shopping websites in today’s day and age. They sell everything ranging from clothes, mobile covers, accessories, and even TV show merchandise. While mostly everyone sticks to a renowned shopping site, sometimes we spot something online that looks very unique and can’t be found anywhere else. In such cases, one may feel tempted to the product. However, before you make the purchase, do read up reviews and complaints of other customers of the website. This will give you a fair idea about the reliability of the website. But remember that websites also pay for good reviews, so only believe the ones that have some realistic-looking pictures.

Looks too good to be true? It probably is

One of the cardinal rules of online shopping is that whatever looks too good to be true, probably is. If a website is offering products at prices that are too low, you need to be sure of a few things before you make any purchase. Be sure to check that the website sells authentic products, delivers items that are prepaid for, has policies in place for damaged items, etc.

Check the refund and replacement policies

A major problem area in online shopping is refunds and returns. Make sure that the website you are shopping from offers easy returns and refunds in case the product they deliver turn out to be fraudulent. A number of shopping websites even have a detailed policy mentioned on their platform, but you would not be able to find the option at all.

Use a credit card to pay online

While COD is the best possible option when it comes to online shopping, it may not always be available. In such cases, always opt for credit card payment and avoid using a debit card. Credit card purchases limit your liability to $50 of unauthorized charges in case your financial information is stolen. With this, you end saving the money in your bank account. Debit cards, on the other hand, don’t offer the same kind of protection.

Buying a gift card

Another thing that you should know is that scammers love gift cards as much as you do. So, the attractive gift card that you may be planning to buy from a not-so-known website may have either nominal or no credit on it. Such gift cards are a famous way of getting someone’s credit card details, so make sure you only buy it from a renowned source.

Be wary of the information you provide

IF you think that the website you are shopping from is asking for more information than e-commerce platforms usually require, then avoid buying from it, no matter how attractive the discounts are and how unique the products are. The more information a scammer has about you, the more dangerous it is.

That e-mail may be fraudulent

If you have received an email from a seller announcing a heavy discount or promising you a freebie, it may be fraudulent. Avoid clicking on it and instead, go to the seller’s platform to confirm this. Sometimes, emails are doctored to look like they are from renowned sources and they only have a very small change in the email address that can be overlooked easily.

Create a unique password

This is very basic, but make sure that the password that you for any e-commerce is unique and has a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. The more complicated it is, the harder it is to crack. No matter what, please don’t use your birthdate as the password.

Keep your anti-malware software updated

Whether or not you shop online, make sure you have the anti-malware software in your system updated at all times. It keeps your system secure and if you inadvertently download something malicious, it alerts you.