{"id":15199,"date":"2023-12-18T12:32:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T12:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-gl\/?p=13629"},"modified":"2023-12-18T12:32:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T12:32:50","slug":"stay-cybersafe-while-gift-shopping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/blogs\/stay-cybersafe-while-gift-shopping\/","title":{"rendered":"Stay Cybersafe While Gift Shopping"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"15199\" class=\"elementor elementor-15199\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-dc5a427 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"dc5a427\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0e3f88a\" data-id=\"0e3f88a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f03177d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f03177d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-gl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/cb6f8686-6007-4326-aa98-371427113382.jpeg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f460da1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f460da1\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d2ce552\" data-id=\"d2ce552\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf16c0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cf16c0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Once upon a (quite recent) time, shopping used to be an extremely evocative, on-site experience. Go out, take a few mall selfies, try on hundreds of clothes for hours on end, and finally go with one or two out of the lot. The prerequisite of \u2018touch and feel\u2019 before making a purchase seemed unshakeable.<\/p><p>Well, turns out it\u2019s been shaken up like how.<\/p><p>A recent Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report projected that over 69% of Indians plan to do more than half of their shopping online this holiday season.<\/p><p>Maybe percentages don\u2019t give you a clear indication of this trend\u2019s gargantuan nature, so let\u2019s go with raw numbers &#8211; UPI conducts close to 400 million transactions daily, with the amount of total transactions recorded in the month of October surpassing 11 billion.<\/p><p>Such vast volume is one thing, but it hits a different stratosphere when you factor in monetary value. The same Norton study reported that 74% of Indians spend more than they can afford on tech gifts like tablets and smartphones. Because naturally, ground realities go for a toss when there\u2019s a new iPhone on the market.<\/p><p>And inevitably, whenever there\u2019s so much money involved, you can be sure that there are bad actors prowling about. 25% of online shoppers have been targeted by a scam, with half of them falling for it. In India, the average amount lost due to a scam exceeds 20k rupees. All this becomes even more heightened in the holiday season, with a 2022 Norton LifeLock poll reporting that over 62% of Indian consumers are likely to face online shopping scams during this time.<\/p><p>So, how do you go about identifying scams and ensuring a safe online shopping experience?<\/p><p><strong>A Little Housekeeping<\/strong><\/p><p>Okay, cool, that salary has been credited in your account and you\u2019ve decided it\u2019s time for a good splurge. We support it, but before you go about filling up that cart, let\u2019s do a little housekeeping:<\/p><ul><li>Sounds basic, but if you\u2019re using a smartphone, make sure you have screen locks in place, especially if you\u2019re doing your shopping publicly.<\/li><li>And if you\u2019re using a laptop, make sure all your computer security software, like your antivirus programs and firewalls are completely updated before you move further.<\/li><li>Okay, now that you\u2019ve moved further, we recommend doing all your online shopping on a virtual private network, especially if you\u2019re on a public network, for safe web browsing. Plus, lots of eCommerce sites tend to give location-relevant discounts in the holiday season, and you\u2019ll be able to bypass those and get the best possible deals through the VPN.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Point of Entry<\/strong><\/p><p>Now, when it comes to online shopping, some of you may be website people, others app people. Both options need their requisite due diligence before you delve further:<\/p><ul><li>All You Website People: Always check for sites that start with https, not http. The added \u2018s\u2019 ensures that there\u2019s the safety of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption in your shopping journey. Another way to identify this is the lock next to the URL &#8211; you\u2019ve definitely seen it before, but let\u2019s jog your memory:<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7fc7358 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7fc7358\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-gl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Picture2.png\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed4cda1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ed4cda1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This icon should also be there on your payment page, not just on the home page. More on payments later.<\/p><ul><li>All You App People: Only download apps from the App Store or Play Store, and check out the reviews to confirm if it\u2019s legit. Also, pay very close attention to the permissions the app asks for &#8211; asking for access to your contacts really shouldn\u2019t be necessary to shop online.<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Taking Account<\/strong><\/p><p>Some platforms, especially if you\u2019re an app person, will ask you to create an account before you start shopping. Fair enough, but here are some things to consider:<\/p><ul><li>Strong password tips are something we keep harping on about, but that doesn\u2019t make it any less important. Be sure to use unique, complex passwords, or better yet, use a password manager. It\u2019ll save details like your address as well, which will make future checkouts more streamlined.<\/li><li>Often, you\u2019ll find platforms asking for things like your birthday, mother\u2019s name, maybe even your AADHAAR details. That\u2019s a big red flag &#8211; all that\u2019s really needed to shop online are your payment details and mailing address. In fact, if certain fields are optional, skip them. So many eCommerce platforms are getting breached these days (RentoMojo and Zivame, in recent times) so it\u2019s important to never give more info than what\u2019s needed.<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Don\u2019t Buy What the Hackers are Selling<\/strong><\/p><p>Great, since all that\u2019s done, you\u2019re officially ready to start acting on your shopping wish list. Not to be a buzzkill, but we have a few words of caution about that as well:<\/p><ul><li>Always do your due diligence on the seller you\u2019re planning to buy from. Obviously, make sure they have sufficient reviews, but go beyond that as well. If you see a bunch of 5 star reviews using similarly over-the-top language, something\u2019s fishy here. Same goes for the product images &#8211; if they feel a tad stock photo-ish, better to avoid.<\/li><li>Terms and conditions may seem like a complete chore to get through, but there are some things which demand your attention. At times during your online shopping journey, you\u2019ll be faced with an expectation-vs.-reality disparity, so make sure you shop from a trusted site with a guaranteed return policy. Also, be meticulous while reading the shipping terms, like if they provide tracking &amp; insurance. If it takes more than 10 days for an order to ship, that seems a bit sketchy.<\/li><li>Most importantly, don\u2019t go for deals that seem too good to be true. If a deal like \u2018Buy 1, Get 4 Free\u2019 sounds dubious at first glance, it most likely is.<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>You\u2019re Gonna Pay For This!<\/strong><\/p><p>Right, so you\u2019ve gone to town with that cart, and it\u2019s now time to pay up. This is the inflection point where your wishes meet tangible action, and this is the area where most fraudsters look to take advantage. Don\u2019t give them the chance:<\/p><ul><li>Like we mentioned earlier, check if there\u2019s an \u2018s\u2019 in your https. Furthermore, make sure the payment gateway is a trusted one. (These include PayU, Razorpay, PayPal, Instamojo, etc.)<\/li><li>Use your credit card, if you have one. Better yet, use a virtual credit card. Should there be any chance of fraud in these transactions, you won\u2019t end up losing any actual money.<\/li><li>Once you\u2019re done with the transaction, keep records of your receipt, the order number, etc. The story isn\u2019t over till your desired item reaches you.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Let\u2019s Maintain Order<\/strong><\/p><p>Because along the way, there are many ways someone can manipulate the anticipation you have for your ordered items. There have been a lot of cases in recent times of cyber criminals impersonating FedEx employees in order to scam people. Here are some countermeasures:<\/p><ul><li>Never reveal your personal information, however hard they probe. Bear in mind, they\u2019ll try calling you at irregular hours to catch you at your most vulnerable, so don\u2019t give them a sniff.<\/li><li>Don\u2019t download any applications and click any links from people you don\u2019t know. Doing so is a definite recipe for disaster.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>And if you follow all these steps, you can be sure that the order will reach your home safe and sound. Happy shopping and have fun making your wishlist come to life!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once upon a (quite recent) time, shopping used to be an extremely evocative, on-site experience. Go out, take a few mall selfies, try on hundreds of clothes for hours on end, and finally go with one or two out of the lot. The prerequisite of \u2018touch and feel\u2019 before making a purchase seemed unshakeable. Well, &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/blogs\/stay-cybersafe-while-gift-shopping\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Stay Cybersafe While Gift Shopping<\/span> Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":15059,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[],"whitepapers":[],"case_studies":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15199"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15199"},{"taxonomy":"whitepapers","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/whitepapers?post=15199"},{"taxonomy":"case_studies","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivaluegroup.com\/en-kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_studies?post=15199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}