Whenever you go to buy online you must take into account a series of essential tips to avoid problems. They could steal your bank details, end up on a fake page and the product may never arrive, get a virus… Therefore, it is essential that you take into account certain tips to check the security of the site, make payments correctly or prepare your equipment.
What to do to buy safely
Buying online is not simply entering any page or application, choosing the product that interests us and paying. It will be necessary to make sure that we are really facing a reliable page and that this product is as they paint it. There are many scams when buying online and you have to be prepared.
We will divide into different sections . Each one of them will be essential to make purchases or online transactions without problems, but all of them will be necessary to avoid the minimum possible risk. Therefore, we have divided it into three main blocks, in addition to focusing on the main threat:
- Check that the site or application is safe
- Prepare equipment to buy online
- Know how and where to buy
- Know how Phishing attacks work
The union of all this that we mentioned will give you enough knowledge to be able to buy online with total security. It is everything you need to avoid unnecessary risks and not have a bad experience when using any online product sales platform.
Check site security
The first thing you should do is take a good look at the web page you access to buy or the platform where you are going to make the transaction. It is essential to detect any detail that could alert us that it is not safe and avoid exposing personal data or losing money.
page address
A very important detail is the address of that website . You must parse the domain name correctly. Does it correspond to what it should or is there something different? Sometimes hackers create a page very similar to platforms like eBay, Amazon or any online shopping site, but it is actually a fake copy.
The URL may vary slightly. For example, if it has an additional hyphen, number or letter. You must observe the address very well and in this way make sure that you are not entering a fake site, which has simply been created with the aim of stealing personal data.
encrypted site
Whenever you go to buy online you must make sure that this page is encrypted. It is basically the HTTPS that you will see before the web domain. If you see that it is not encrypted, that the URL contains HTTP, your data may be in danger and it is not a good idea to make a transaction through these sites.
What can happen? Everything you send will be unprotected. A hypothetical attacker could intercept it if, for example, you are connected from a public network. This also includes passwords or bank details that you need to send to make an online purchase . All of that could be exposed.
General aspect
Of course you should take a good look at the general appearance of that page . Does he have something that makes you suspicious? If, for example, you are going to enter a web page to buy a cycling article, you must make sure that this page really is what it claims to be, it has articles related to the subject and it is not a scam.
Sometimes just by taking a look we can quickly see if it is a dangerous site or if it is legitimate. You may see translation errors, misspellings, general menu clutter, or any other circumstance that makes you see that this website really isn’t what it should be.
Payment methods
What payment methods does that website allow? This is also another very interesting clue to determine whether or not it may be a threat. Hackers, in order to steal money without the victim being able to recover it, will not accept any payment method from the many options out there.
For example, it is safe to use methods such as bank cards or PayPal . In case of theft or any fraud, we can always claim and we have more guarantees to recover the money we have lost. Generally, this information appears clearly visible on the web page, often at the bottom.
Search for information on Google
Whenever you have doubts or if it is simply the first time that you are going to make a purchase on that particular page, a good idea is to carry out a search . If you enter Google and put the name of that company, surely you will get comments and ratings from other users and you can get an idea.
In addition, there are specific forums where you can see how other users have fared when using a particular platform. You can see if the orders arrive well, if they have had problems in case of needing a refund, if there has been any kind of problem, etc. Today on the Internet you will have no problem looking for references and it is interesting.
Prepare your team to buy online
Beyond focusing on checking that the website or service where you are going to buy online is safe, you should also check that your computer or mobile phone is ready. This is essential in order to prevent attacks and correct possible vulnerabilities that may appear and allow an attacker to steal personal information.
upgrade the team
Something essential is to have the equipment correctly updated . There are many security flaws that can appear. Those vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers to sneak in malware, steal passwords, or otherwise compromise privacy and security.
You should always update the operating system, but also the browser or any application you use to buy online. In the case of Windows, to update the system you have to go to Start, enter Settings and click on Windows Update . There you will see possible files that are available to install.
Use security software
Another very important point is to always have security programs installed . This will prevent the entry of malware that can compromise the system when buying online. There are many options and you should apply it no matter what type of operating system or device you are using.
For example, in Windows a good option is Microsoft Defender. It is free, works very well and is integrated with the system itself. However, there are many other options, both free and paid, such as Avast, Bitdefender or any other. In addition, there are firewalls and even browser plugins that will also help improve security.
Use only official apps
If you are going to use any program to make purchases , such as through platforms such as Amazon, you must make sure that you are using the official application. It is true that sometimes you can find alternatives that even have certain functions and advantages, but it is a security problem.
Those third-party programs may have been maliciously created simply for the purpose of stealing information. You should avoid it and always opt for legitimate applications, downloaded from reliable sources and in this way you can be protected and not fall into possible traps created by cybercriminals.
Create strong passwords
Preparing your computer to shop online safely is also about using passwords that are strong and complex . The device has to be protected, but also any account you use to make a purchase or any online transaction that can be intercepted by a third party.
That key must contain letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers and also other special symbols that provide that extra protection. You can always use a password manager , such as LastPass, with which to generate passwords that meet all security requirements.
However, beyond a password, it is a good idea to configure two-step authentication, something that is increasingly present on platforms such as Amazon or PayPal. This serves to create an extra layer of security and prevent intruders from gaining access, since they would need a second code that you will receive by SMS, e-mail or some application.
Be careful how and where you buy
On the other hand, another essential question is to observe very well from where you are buying online and in what way. This can also mean that you are protected or, on the contrary, that you are completely exposed and may have security problems. We are going to show the main points to take into account.
Avoid public networks
One important tip is to avoid public Wi-Fi networks when shopping online. You don’t really know who might be behind that connection and could be intercepting the information you send and receive. This also includes any bank details or password to log in.
Therefore, the ideal is to make purchases only when you know that the wireless network is reliable. For example from your home. An alternative you have is to share the Internet from your mobile and connect through that secure network. This way you will avoid being exposed on a public network where any attacker could be.
Use VPN for security
In case you need to buy from a network that you do not know if it is really safe or not, one option you have is to use a VPN . What this type of program does is create a layer of protection by encrypting the connection. All the information you send and receive goes through a kind of tunnel and is not exposed.
You have many options to use VPN. There are both free and paid ones, although our advice is to opt for the latter, since they are safer and work better. For example you can install ExpressVPN or NordVPN. However, the range of options is quite wide and you will find alternatives for both computers and mobile devices.
Use secure payment methods
There are many ways to pay online. You can carry out the transaction by bank transfer, use services such as PayPal, bank cards… However, there are more secure options than others and these are the ones you should use to minimize the risk of suffering attacks on the Internet and having problems when buying online.
For example, you can use reloadable cards . It is a good idea to make any purchase without having problems in case of theft. You simply put the exact amount and make the payment with it. Also, as an alternative, they are the virtual cards that are used only once and stop working.
Phishing attacks, the main threat
After explaining essential tips to be protected when buying online and not have problems, we are going to talk about a very frequent type of attack. These are what are known as Phishing attacks and they aim to steal user passwords. It is the main threat we face and it is convenient to know how it works and how to protect ourselves.
Basically it is a bait. A scam attempt whereby cybercriminals expect us to click and enter the password. For example, they can send an SMS or email with a link to make a purchase and use a supposed discount. By entering that link, we are apparently accessing Amazon or any similar platform. But it is really a scam.
When we put the personal data and the password, that information travels to a server controlled by the attackers and that is the way they have to scam us. These links usually arrive by SMS or e-mail, as we say, but also through instant messaging, such as WhatsApp, social networks such as Facebook or when browsing the Internet.
What to do to avoid being victims of Phishing attacks ? Undoubtedly, the most important thing here is common sense. You must log in or make a payment only if you have entered a website from its official link. You should never carry out transactions if you have accessed through a link that you have seen on the Internet or it has come to you from a third party. You should at least verify that that URL is secure.
Therefore, as you have seen, it is important to be protected and take into account certain tips when making any online purchase. We have also explained how Phishing attacks work, which are the main threat we face when using many platforms on the Internet.