More than 29 million people are expecting to take part in Cyber Monday which is the biggest online shopping day of the year.
The Better Business Bureau believes that many shoppers could fall victim to online scamming.
Here are some tips that you can look out for if you plan on surfing the web today.
Officials from the Better Business Bureau said that in 2019, 58 million people did their shopping online, and this year it could be even more as the pandemic continues.
COVID-19 numbers are still at a nationwide high which is leaving millions of shoppers avoiding the crowds.
“We’ve seen such an increase in online purchases throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated with that we’re seeing more online purchase scams,” said Pam Marlowe from the Better Business Bureau.
This means that more scammers will be trying to take advantage of people who are shopping online during Cyber Monday.
If you are planning on surfing the web for the best deals, there are some tips that you can take to avoid the online scams.
These tips include never clicking on links if you don’t know who sent you an email.
Go to the official website of the seller to check the status of your package.
Another good tip is to always do your research before making a purchase.
This year the Better Business Bureau says to limit transferring money on your phone through apps, which could be another way that you could be scammed.
Another helpful tip is to make sure that you’re doing your shopping on a secure network.
“Do not for example shop online, or on a public wifi. The wifi connection could be on a public network and people on that wifi could be snooping in to pick up the traffic and analyze it,” said Christopher Mansour, Assistant Professor of Cyber Security at Mercyhurst University.
Cyber experts suggest to also shop with a credit card. Using a credit card can make it easier for scammers to steal your money.
It’s important to watch out for text messages and emails that send you links to great deals. Those could lead to malware being installed on your computer.
