13 Tips to Avoid Online Scams this Festive Season

Before you get on a shopping spree with so many offers running rampant on the Internet, here are 13 tips to avoid online scams this festive season.

Tip#2.
Don’t respond to unwanted or unexpected promotional emails, even if the sender looks familiar.

Tip#3.
Shop from well-known online websites. Ensure that their payment page’s URL begins with ‘https’ and has a lock symbol.

Tip#4.
Always go for cash-on-delivery payment mode if you are shopping from a less familiar website.

Tip#5.
Don’t go for offers that sound too good to be true. Presenting such fake offers to users is one of the oldest online scams that cyber criminals use.

Tip#6.
Avoid clicking on social media posts that promise gifts in return for a completed survey.

Tip#7.
Do not shop online when you are connected to a public/free, unsecured Wi-Fi network.

Tip#8.
Read reviews of products before you purchase them from a website.

Tip#9.
Be careful of social media posts that ask for donation for charity.

Tip#10.
Be it any offer, do some research on it and ensure that it is for real.

Tip#11.
Do not give away your personal information over email or phone, no matter how urgent the matter sounds.

Tip#12.
Never visit a shopping or banking website by clicking on links received via emails.

Tip#13.
Have a reliable Internet Security program for your PC that can automatically block phishing and infected websites, and stop malicious emails.

Quick Heal protects you from online scams mainly with its Anti-Phishing features:

Safe Banking
Allows you to shop and bank in a virtual environment, away from the reach of hackers and malware. This feature takes all necessary measures to ensure that your personal and financial details are hack-proof.

Web Security
Automatically blocks websites that are designed to steal your personal and banking information.

Email Security
Blocks spam and phishing emails that try to trick you into visiting bogus websites or fill up fake forms.

Online scammers are always on the lookout for you to falter and fall right into their traps. But, following some simple safety measures such as the ones described above, should be good enough to keep you in a safe spot and help you enjoy the festive season with all its glee and glory.