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Safe Online Shopping - Online Shopping Safety

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The internet is a great place to do business, but only if it's safe. Now so many people have access to the Internet and digital TV, it’s becoming easier and simpler to shop without leaving your home. However, you need to take some special precautions when buying goods and services online.

The UK’s leading credit card organisations have developed services to provide extra protection, making the online shopping experience better for everyone - consumers and retailers alike.

Knowthenet provides you with information to help ensure your online shopping experience is secure and enjoyable.

Read our online shopping tips.

Shopping Safely online - protecting your PC

Your computer plays a central role in helping to ensure you remain safe when shopping online. Having the latest protection does not have to be costly and will help safeguard you from viruses.

Key tips to protect your PC

  • Check that your computer has a firewall enabled
  • Update your anti-virus software on a regular basis
  • Never open files attached to an email from an unknown source
  • If you use a wireless network, make sure it is encrypted
  • Download the latest security updates automatically

Further information on safe online shopping

For more information on how to keep your PC protected when shopping online visit: www.becardsmart.org.uk/keep_your_pc_protected/

For more general advice on online shopping and what precautions you can take to shop safely read our sections on:

Watch our video on the right for more hints and tips on staying secure when shopping online.

How do I spot a reputable seller?

Before you register, sign in or give the website any personal information, take a moment to check that the site is secure (using encryption) and that it is the site you think it is.

Your web browser should contain a device that will help you confirm the identity of the site you are using. Some browsers display a padlock to the right of the web address. If you are using the latest version of Firefox, this displays a site identity button to the left of the web address. To find out more about the Firefox site identity button, go to http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Site%20Identity%20Button.

If you are using Internet Explorer 7 (or below) as your browser, a padlock should be displayed to the right of the web address. However, this does not appear in the current version Internet Explorer 9.

Hovering your mouse over the site identity button or padlock will show whether the encryption is genuine or not (many retailers use Verisign as their authentication).

In summary:

  • Always look for evidence of a physical address as well as telephone contact details
  • Don’t judge a person or a company by their website
  • Be cautious when buying from overseas
  • Check sellers’ privacy and returns policy
  • Use an appropriate means of online payment

Further information

For more information, go to: Shop Online Safely

If you have any doubts as to whether it is a secure website vist GetSafeOnline for information about using a secure website

To find out more about protection from fake shopping sites and counterfeit goods visit: https://www.brand-i.org

Tips for online shopping

There are some specific things to remember when shopping online:

1. A firm may have a great-looking website, but that doesn’t make it honest.

2. Make sure you copy down the retailer’s full address and landline phone number, especially if they’re based outside your home country. Never rely on just their e-mail address or a post office box. The internet makes buying from abroad easy, so it’s very important you know your rights.

3. Don't assume an internet firm is based in your home country just because its web address has something like ‘uk’ or ‘de’ in it - check their office address and phone number.

4. Read the privacy statement that tells you what the retailer intends do with your personal information.

5. Look for sites that are part of an independent approval scheme and have signed up to particular standards. There are many different trader approval schemes worldwide - so check out what each particular approval means.

6. Make sure that the web address of the page starts “https://” before you enter any personal information or payment details. The “s” in https stands for secure. 

7. Always print out a copy of your order and a copy of the acknowledgement that you should receive by email.

8. Don't assume that an email is from who you think it’s from. Check any links or buttons carefully to ensure they will take you to the real website. Never reply to emails that you suspect aren't genuine.

9. Make sure your web browser is set up to check for potential phishing sites and read any warnings you get carefully.

10. Always use a personal firewall and check it is turned on.

11. Use anti-virus software and update it at least daily or every time your computer is switched on.

12. Check your bank and credit card statements carefully and report any unfamiliar transactions.

Online auction sites

If you’re using an online auction site, such as eBay, a few simple steps can make things safer:

  • Before you start, make sure you understand the auction process, the site rules and the auction company’s own safety advice.
  • Get to know the buyer or seller. Ask questions. Check their feedback.
  • Learn to pick good sellers. Their items have clear descriptions and they will answer your questions.
  • Don’t give away your password or personal details.

When it comes to handing over your money, choose a safe way to pay such as PayPal or a credit/debit card. Find out more on Get Safe Online.

Further information

To find out more about how to use auction sites safely from Get Safe Online. 

Find detailed advice on buying on internet auction sites and your rights from the Citizen's Advice Bureau.

Online payment systems

Shopping safe online

The internet is an easy and convenient place to buy almost anything. Unfortunately, if someone gets hold of your credit or debit card details, they may try to use them to shop online fraudulently.

That is why these secure services have been developed to offer you much greater protection when shopping online.

Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode both work in the same way - by using personal passwords, used by the consumer, to add an extra layer of protection when you buy online in retailer outlets.

Online payment systems

Online retailers and businesses with payment options should always ensure that they use secure, trusted payment systems to protect their consumers. Without them, your details are at risk and as a consumer, you may choose not to shop with them.

Online retailers should ensure that their website uses secure encryption to protect against hackers. Many retailers set up SSL and HTTPS (to ensure that details entered by visitors are securely encrypted.

Online payment types

There are a number of generally acceptable online payment methods that provide good levels of security, including:

Debit/Credit card

Using a debit/credit card payment system is commonplace for online resellers. It provides a familiar and simple way for customers to make payments. Card details are checked and verified by either the card issuer or a third party such as WorldPay or SecureTrading.

Paypal/electronic payment

Companies such as Paypal provide an electronic payment method for people online. Both the customer and organisation must have a Paypal account set up in order to use this method, and as such, this requires the customer to perform another action before being able to purchase.

Paypal accounts are topped up with credit by the user before purchasing - this can be done in one step, once a bank account/debit card has been correctly set up and verified with Paypal, simplifying the customer’s purchase. When a purchase is made, the funds are transferred electronically to the organisation’s Paypal account, where they can then be transferred to an external bank account. Organisations such as Paypal offer buyer and seller protection – this feature is provided to verified users to allow instant payments, as described above, and to give reassurance to the buyer that a company is legitimate.

Escrow

Escrow is another electronic form of payment, used generally for high value purchases. Funds are transferred by the buyer to an Escrow service provider such as escrow.com. The service provider confirms to the seller that the funds have been received, and ships the goods. Once the buyer has received the goods, the funds are released to the seller. If using escrow, always use a trusted escrow service provider.

Other payment methods are available such as SMS billing and dialler billing (i.e. billing to your phone line) However, these are less commonplace and provide less control for the consumer.

Further information

For more information about how to shop safely online visit: Consumer Direct.

For further information on secure payment systems visit: www.getsafeonline.org.

Secure browsing

To protect yourself when surfing the internet, you must ensure that you are browsing securely.

Heighten your browser security

Internet browsers all have standard protocols in place to protect against security threats. By turning up the security level in your browser's options, you can ensure that anything that seems untoward is flagged by your browser and explained to you, allowing you to make a choice about whether to proceed.  If you are ever in doubt about a website’s legitimacy, do not enter your details.

You can manage your security settings as well as your privacy settings and browsing history within your browser's tools menu.

Some people find the highest levels of security can make the user experience of the internet slightly slower. If you feel this way, lower your settings, but only to the highest setting you are happy, and feel confident enough, to use.

Pop-ups

Most internet browsers now come complete with a pop-up blocker, designed to block the automatic opening of new browser windows (pop-ups) when clicking on links or visiting particular sites. These can be useful to ensure that pop-up windows cannot open, which often mimic a standard computer message and make you think it is a different program on your computer asking you for information.

Keep pop-up blockers on unless a specific, known site has asked you to deactivate it; some websites require the use of pop-ups when shopping online etc. Always ensure when leaving such sites that you reactivate your pop-up blocker.

Enable your antivirus

Many antivirus programs now have a number of ways of ensuring your safety when browsing online. Some offer real-time scanning, whereby they remain constantly active when your computer is switched on. This ensures that, if you are infected by a virus, your system can pick up on it and remove it immediately, before any damage is done. Other anti-virus solutions include integration with your internet browser. In this way, your anti-virus software can be used to actively check websites before you visit them. If they find any security problems or viruses they can advise you not to visit. If you are sure that the website is valid and legitimate, you can choose to continue.

Trust your instincts

If at any point you feel that your security may be compromised do not enter any of your details. If your computer suddenly feels much slower for no apparent reason, or you simply feel that something is not right with the website that you have visited, close the internet browser and run a full antivirus scan. If no viruses are found, then you have only lost a little browsing time. If viruses are found, then you could have just saved yourself a broken computer or, worse, lost bank details.

Further information

For further information about secure browsing please visit:

http://www.getsafeonline.org

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

This personal information might also be of interest: Online safety

Credit card security

When paying for goods and services on the Internet, you need to ensure that your credit or debit card details remain secure, so that they don’t get into the wrong hands.

Visa Verified and Mastercard Securecode have sponsored the website becardsmart which gives you loads of information about how to keep your cards and sensitive information safe and secure.

Here are three key tips:

  • Look for the padlock
  • Register your cards
  • Always log out

Credit card transactions online

Credit card fraud

For information on credit card fraud, please visit: www.ukpayments.org.uk/payments_industry/payment_fraud/plastic_fraud/

Scams and fraud

Information on scams and fraud is available in our scams section.

For current scam warnings and fraud trends please visit: www.banksafeonline.org.uk

For details about The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit please visit: www.dcpcu.org.uk/

For more information visit: www.becardsmart.org.uk

Online fraud

Using the internet for buying and selling should be safe, but it can open you up to the potential risk of fraudulent scams or even identity theft by fraudsters.

Keeping your financial information secure and only using reputable and recognisable sites is just one way of ensuring you don’t put yourself at risk. Another way is to always pay online by credit card, as this offers you protection in the event of a fraudulent event.

You can also keep yourself up to date on the latest types of scams, such as phishing or spamming, and what to do if it does happen to you.

By following a few simple guidelines and online rules you can keep you, your personal information and your credit cards safe from online fraudsters.

For more information visit the Citizen Advice Bureau’s Advice Guide: www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/i_fraud_on_the_internet.pdf

 

Avoiding scams and online fraud

For further information about how to avoid online fraud visit: www.direct.gov.uk

Information on scams and fraud is available in our scams section.

For current scam warnings and fraud trends please visit www.banksafeonline.org.uk


Protect yourself from credit card fraud

For information on credit card fraud, please visit: www.ukpayments.org.uk/payments_industry/payment_fraud/plastic_fraud/


Scams and fraud

For details about The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit please visit: www.dcpcu.org.uk/


Online banking and online shopping fraud

For more detail about online banking or online shopping fraud, visit: www.ukpayments.org.uk/

This personal information might also be of interest: Online banking
This business information might also be of interest: Online banking

Reliable websites

While the internet may seem a daunting place at first, there are many reliable websites that can provide you with secure online shopping, in depth information about any number of subjects, safe access to online banking and much more.

Online shopping

A good place to start when online shopping is the websites of high street stores. With online versions of the high street shop, you can rest assured that if something goes wrong with your online shopping experience; you can visit the physical shop to talk with real people. Many shops offer a returns procedure allowing you to take any unwanted items back to a physical store for a refund.  This takes away the worry of returning goods in the post should you change your mind.

There are also many well-known and trusted “online only” stores. As they operate solely online, they are often able to offer lower prices due to lower overheads. One thing to watch out for when shopping on these sites is exactly who is selling the goods you are looking at. Many websites of this nature, as well as selling items directly, offer a way for users and independent shops/retailers to sell their products, using the website as their online shop front. Thankfully, both the products and these independent resellers can be rated by previous shoppers, giving you a good idea of the quality of service before making your purchase.

If you are choosing to purchase from an “online only” store that you have not heard anything about, it is worthwhile doing some research to check their legitimacy. Reading our guide to spotting a fake website may also help ensure your online shopping experience is an enjoyable one.

Find out more about how to spot fake sites

Find out more about shopping online

Researching online

The internet is a fantastic place to find information on any subject that you can think of. Online encyclopaedias, journals and research projects are readily available, and can be a great source of information. It is important to be wary however, when researching online. It is forever becoming quicker and easier to create your own website and have your own online space. Opinions can be easily made to appear as fact, and reliability of data can be compromised. A

s with any research, always use a variety of sources, and if in doubt, visit the websites of trusted published works. Wikipedia, while a great online research tool in many ways, can be updated by anyone; always use it with caution.

Further information

For further information on reliable websites visit: www.getsafeonline.org

This personal information might also be of interest: Online safety

Spotting fake sites

Many fake websites are set up by scammers to attempt to use your trust in the real company or site in order to steal your personal details, or to cause you to download viruses onto your computer. These fake sites can be made to look incredibly convincing, and it may be difficult to spot any differences between them and the real thing.

Other fake sites are setup entirely independently and are not designed to masquerade as another site. These are often set up as online resellers, offering great deals on any variety of products. These sites rely on people’s tendency to bargain hunt in order to steal banking information in exchange for no goods whatsoever. Typical examples of this type of fake site include sites selling tickets for events and festivals.

Thankfully, there are a number of ways to spot and protect yourself against fake websites.

Update your software

Your internet browser can provide you with great security functions. These can help spot sites masquerading as trusted sites quickly and easily, and can even tell you before you arrive that the site is a fake. For more information read our "Secure Browsing guide".

Check the signs

Although you cannot absolutely guarantee that a site is safe, there are some signs on screen to look out for.  Before entering any banking information, ensure that your browser is showing the padlock symbol (in the lower toolbar, toward the bottom of the screen) and that the address starts with the secure internet protocol https://. Without these clearly visible siggns, there is no guarantee of security or encryption of your data. Any major online retailer will have these security measures as standard. 

Research

If you have not used a particular website before, check its credentials. Search for alternative contact details such as address or phone details – if in doubt, call them first. Look on forums and blogs for reviews and advice from previous users of the site. Until you are confident that the site is genuine, do not give up any personal details.

Trust your instincts

If a deal seems too good to be true, it may well be that it is. If you ever feel that a site is not legitimate, do not enter any personal information, and leave immediately.

If you are visiting a site that you regularly visit and it seems different, be sure to take some time to check that it is the real site. Websites do often change, but if you are asked for a different set of information than you are used to, and you have not been warned of site changes on your previous visits, it may be that you are on a fake site.

These precautions should help you with spotting fake sites. If you are making online purchases from a site that you have not used before, it may be worth using a credit card instead of a debit card. Many credit cards offer buyer protection and can offer refunds if you are caught out by fake sites.

Further information on how to spot fake sites 

Visit http://www.getsafeonline.org for advice on avoiding criminal websites.

To find out more about protection from fake shopping sites and counterfeit goods visit: https://www.brand-i.org

Think you can spot a scam? Take our ThreatTest to find out.

This personal information might also be of interest: Online safety

What are cookies?

What are cookies?

Cookies are text files that allow a website to remember what web pages you have visited, so that they can be recognised and recalled when you access that site again. They can recognise your username on a site so that you don’t have to keep re-entering it.

Why do websites use cookies?

They were created to keep track of information entered at a site and make repeat navigation easier. They are particularly useful for websites that allow you to customise a page so that it looks the same every time you visit it, for example if you want to set your postcode on the BBC weather site.

Although most people don’t like the idea of other people seeing what websites and pages they have visited, without cookies, every time you clicked on a different page on a site, you wouldn’t be recognised. This would make things like online shopping difficult and long-winded. It would also make it harder for website designers to improve content or design based on what pages are looked at the most or the least.

How do cookies work?

Cookies work by storing the text information on your hard drive; it is transferred from the server to your browser. Temporary cookies are stored temporarily in your browser’s memory and deleted as soon as the session ends. Permanent cookies are stored on the hard drive and recreated the next time you visit the site.

Are cookies harmful to your computer?

No - cookies are text files that just sit in your hard drive unless they are required or deleted. As they are not executable files, they will not give your computer a virus.

If you are concerned about cookies that are being stored

Some people have concerns about the privacy aspect of cookies, in that they could be used to track your interests and viewing habits and building a profile of you.

You can manage your cookies settings via your internet browser.  You can set it so that your browser gives you a warning about whether a cookie is installed, and also you have the option to turn them on and off, on a site-by-site basis, according to those you trust.

It is important to note however, that some sites won’t work with cookies switched off, and by blocking all cookies could make browsing more difficult.

Further information about website cookies

Find out more about cookies and how to protect your privacy, visit Get Safe Online: http://www.getsafeonline.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1132

Visit the BBC for more information about how to control your cookies:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-cookies

For information regarding the updated law on cookies visit the ICO:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/news/current_topics/new_pecr_rules.aspx  

This personal information might also be of interest: Online Privacy

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