A lot of us are well aware of some of the more notorious apps we are visiting and how they could be consuming battery power and/or snatching our data to sell to third-party companies. But we forget that we’re still visiting websites on our phones and that some of these sites are also not doing us any favors when it comes to privacy and security. According to Santosh Putchala, Director of Privacy at Kuma LLC, as we use our phones to shop and make online purchases more frequently, it’s more important than ever to be aware of the sites that could be detrimental to our safety. This is the one website you should never visit on your phone, according to tech experts.
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Shopping Websites
If you can’t remember the last time you rolled up and down store aisles with a cart, pulling items from shelves, consider yourself one of MANY who has made the switch to online shopping. Of course, purchasing your goods from the comfort of your own home is all kinds of convenient, but it also opens you up to more security and privacy breaches, as some commerce sites are going to be less trustworthy than others.
“As more and more data is moving to the online space and captured, people need to be more aware of how their devices and apps are used to collect your personal information,” Putchala says. “For the most part, Apple and Google are diligent about removing risky apps from their app stores, and this happens in most cases prior to security reports being released by the app developers or being known to the public.”
With that said, Putchala says when you think about using your phone, device or app to make purchases or do online shopping, there are some common tips to be aware of.
Shop on websites you trust and look for website security:
Shopping websites are a common way for identity thieves to steal your information, Putchala says. “Just as we suggest you don’t use the links in emails to go to a website and only shop on familiar sites, we suggest you look for the padlock symbol in the address bar or a URL address that begins with “https” (the s stands for “secure”),” Putchala says. “For sites you’re not familiar with but you believe may be valid, consider contacting the business directly before you make an online purchase. If you buy on popular marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy, look at the seller’s rating and customer comments.”
Watch out for prices that are “too good to be true:”
“Retailers are known for offering big promotions and sales during the holidays,” Putchala says. “But if the price is drastically lower from what you might expect, don’t jump too fast to make a purchase. Compare prices for the same items on other websites and take a moment to make sure the site is secure, has customer referrals, and other measures of a positive reputation.”
Refrain from sharing new purchase details on social media and falling prey to email phishing scams:
“A targeted form of email fraud is spear phishing where the attacker uses information they discover about you on social media to craft an email claiming to be from a familiar retailer offering you a deal on an item similar to what you shared on social media, or claiming there was an issue with your credit card and many other creative ways to get you to respond and share your personal data,” Putchala says. “To protect yourself, be careful about what personal transactions you post on social sites. It’s also recommended that you bypass links within emails from retailers and go directly to the website address or contact their customer service departments directly to confirm the validity of communications.”
Many shopping websites are top-notch — but knowing how to protect yourself when you are shopping online is the key to engaging with commerce content safely.
