SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With 2011 having closed out with record numbers of online transactions 2012 is set for even more record-breaking as shoppers discover the benefits of the virtual high street from the comfort of their homes. But beware, cyber-crooks are lurking just a keypad stroke away, ready to turn unsuspecting consumers into victims of online crime.
Currently in Australia, John Giacobbi, who polices the Internet for many of the World’s most famous recording artists and is better known as the “Web Sheriff,” provides some advice for safe shopping down under.
Here are a few tips from the posse at Web Sheriff as to the Do’s-and-Don’ts of on-line shopping this summer season.
NEVER give personal info in response to unsolicited e-mails. – This is the biggest ‘No-No’ of them all and, if you receive an e-mail asking you to register your contact or credit card details, never (and we mean NEVER) oblige or even respond – this is the scam known as ‘phishing’.
ONLY order from web-sites that publish their addresses. – This is also vitally important - never order from a web shop that doesn’t publish its postal address and the identity of the company or owner. Consumer protection laws make this a legal requirement and you should ideally have a contact telephone number as well. That way, you can also see where your goods are coming from, as it’s a long way to Long Beach if your surfboard arrives damaged!
ALWAYS check the e-mail address that shopping offers come from. – Crooks can lure you in with authentic looking e-mails so, no matter how plausible or official an email looks, remember to double-check the address that it comes from, sadly, you’ll all-too-often find that, though similar, the e-mail address is subtly different from the one it should be.
BE SURE to use well-known sites if you want to buy by auction. – If you fancy yourself as a cyber-bidder, then play-safe and shop via established sites such as eBay or iOffer and, whichever auction site you choose, read the small print and make sure that they have a proper complaint procedures and full contact details.
BE SMART about payment methods. – Paypal tends to be a much safer way of effecting payments without having to give-out your debit card or credit card details to strangers and, even if dealing with an established retailer, paying by credit card affords you with greater protection than charge or debit cards, as the card companies are legally obliged to reimburse you if you buy a lemon or are a victim of fraud.
DON’T publish your holiday plans on-line. – On a more general level, social networking sites may be great for spreading holiday cheer, but they’re also a gold mine of personal information that crooks piece together for identity theft and house break-ins. So, if you insist upon posting Facebook messages or Tweets about your summer holiday plans, expect more than a kangaroo knocking at your front door!
DO use e-mail scanning software – If you’re buying a new computer in 2012, remember to include mail scanning software to protect you and your family from spam, junk mail, viruses and crooks ‘phishing’ for your data.
BE CAREFUL OUT THERE – DON’T GET MUGGED BY A CYBER-CROOK AND HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY 2012 IN CYBERSPACE !
For more information www.websheriff.com
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