{"id":54186,"date":"2013-10-28T13:17:57","date_gmt":"2013-10-28T11:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onsoftware.en.softonic.com\/?p=54186"},"modified":"2025-07-02T01:04:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T08:04:04","slug":"6-tips-for-shopping-online-without-getting-scammed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/6-tips-for-shopping-online-without-getting-scammed\/","title":{"rendered":"6 tips for shopping online without getting scammed"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’re shopping online more than ever before. According to Forbes magazine<\/a>, at the end of 2013, e-commerce transactions will add up to an incredible one trillion dollars<\/strong>. And as more money moves around cyberspace, cyberfraud is increasing by the day.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Cyberfraud economic losses from 2001 to 2012 (source<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

In a report from CyberSource<\/a> (VISA), $3.5 billion were lost in 2012 in North America alone. Another report, from JP Morgan,\u00a0concludes that “there are no signs that the growth of cybercrime is slowing”.<\/p>\n

The fine line between fraud and overconfidence<\/h3>\n

Cybercrime pickpocketers\u00a0use\u00a0a variety of techniques and tricks, ranging from personal data theft through email (phishing<\/a>) or redirection to fake e-commerce sites (pharming<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Pharming<\/a>: The attacker modifies (“poisons”)\u00a0\u00a0the address\u00a0servers (1) so that when the user loads a page (2), a fake version appears instead of the genuine website (3)<\/em><\/p>\n

But scams aren’t the only way money is lost. Transaction errors<\/strong> and ads that exaggerate the quality of products are also guilty.<\/p>\n

Six tips for buying online with confidence<\/h3>\n

Whether due to the poor design of an online store or the existence of con artists, the risk of losing money is real. Luckily, browsers and<\/em> websites have greatly improved their safety<\/strong> and reliability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Rather than overwhelm you with an endless list of recommendations, or advice that’s difficult to implement, we’re going to give you six essential tricks <\/strong>that we believe will keep you safe in most cases.<\/p>\n

1. Always pay through PayPal or Google Wallet<\/h3>\n

Pay by PayPal<\/a>, Google Wallet<\/a> or other services where you don’t need to enter your bank details<\/strong> every time. In addition, both PayPal and Google Wallet have sophisticated anti-fraud controls, and can help you reclaim your money<\/a> in case of fraud.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

PayPal acts as a <\/em>payment <\/em>intermediary, protecting your safety (source<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

Regardless of how you pay, we recommend that you get a secondary cash or debit card<\/strong> and use it for your online purchases. It’s not a good idea to use your primary card for online shopping.<\/p>\n

2. Investigate the reputation of the online store<\/h3>\n

If its your first time buying from a given website, spend\u00a0some time researching their reputation<\/strong>. Google their name and look at their\u00a0reputation on WoT <\/a>and SafeWeb<\/a>, two services that check the safety of websites.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Another good tip is to\u00a0look at the bottom of the page to see where the company is located and what certificates they have.\"\"<\/p>\n

When you first enter an online store, look\u00a0for the following:<\/p>\n