Protect your financial data and private information by using this internet Black Friday shopping advice.
The holiday shopping season truly gets underway when The Black Friday shopping deals start. This now is happening earlier and earlier in the week of Thanksgiving. The deals normally extend through Cyber Monday, which is the 1st of December this year. Watch out, holiday buyers. A lively stretch awaits us.
Rather than rushing into malls, today's consumers hurry to their computer screen and leap into an online Black Friday shopping frenzy. The only killjoy to that holly-jolly nice time is the fact that the nefarious people of all sorts, from greedy advertisers to straight-up online criminals. They hope to have this sudden increase in activity on the internet and hatch themselves phishing scams and deceptive schemes in order to steer your digital cashflow their way.
Insidious frauds are found everywhere you turn, from counterfeit mobile applications, fraudulent websites posing as real companies, malicious emails claiming to be your package delivery information or a holiday card from friends.
However, you can prevent the mayhem as well as the hassle with these tips on a much safer, more sensible internet Black Friday shopping experience.
Use 'https' to secure your browsing
#1 Go ‘Official’ on Black Friday...and Everyday
This is the most apparent tip, given all the fakes which abound. For applications: Download only applications from official application stores. And, for the websites: Always type in the URL yourself in the address bar so you will know that you are on the official page. You’ll also find that for the most part, the official company websites use ‘https’ to help secure an encrypted link between you and to their servers.
#2 Prevent Black Friday Phishing Scams
Review each holiday-themed and savings-themed email in the inbox with the suspicious eye, and don't click on links within them as they may link to an email phishing scam. On the Other Hand, if you see anything in the email that is attractive, follow tip #1 and enter the URL into your web browser yourself.
Phishing Scams increase over the holidays
#3 Price Comparisons on Black Friday
Before attempting to hit a digital checkout line, open the new tab and search that same item at other stores to see whether the price is similar. If you have not heard of the brand before, search for similar products by top brands to see whether prices are comparable. If your item is significantly lower than the other ones, you will have to ask why. There is a proverb, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is” and it applies to the majority of things online too.
Compare between products and websites
#4 Use a VPN: Remain Anonymous
Once you use a VPN, you can cruise the cyber freeway rented car with tinted glass. It is an encrypted connection which conceals your IP address and it keeps holiday predators from viewing any of your personal data, preventing them from profiling you. Your login information, your bank account details, and your personal identity remain protected. But make sure you pick your country from the VPN application so that the website shows you the currency you'd like to use.
VPN protects your privacy
#5 Ad-Blocking: Cut Mess and Hassle
The previous tips are for your own protection, and this is for your sanity. Some security tools might eliminate the more distressing and annoying facets of holiday and Black Friday shopping. By using an adblocker you will save the prolonged load times as well as the headache of being continuously deluged with ads, most with a reminder of the earlier products you’ve looked at. You’ll be even more focused, pages will load quicker, and you may even discover yourself humming holiday songs and high spirits.
Ad-blocking can save your sanity
#6 Do Not Save Payment Data
As you are visiting the website after the web page, and especially since you make one purchase after another purchase, you are going to be showered with requests to begin new accounts and then save your credit card info. We strongly urge you to reject these demands, especially during holiday and Black Friday shopping. You want to share, save, and to store as little personally identifiable information as you can on the web.
Do not save your credit card information
#7 Constrain Yourself
Utilize a credit card with a credit limit. That way, if payment information is compromised, the damage is going to be as restricted as the card is. Even better, use a single card intended for holiday and Black Friday shopping season only. A brief review of the card’s statement shows you whether something is wrong.
Do you have different tips about Black Friday Safe Shopping you would like to share? We ask you to share them here. You can leave your comments, questions, or anything you wish in the section below or Contact Us.
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Posted from JoeBrochin.com LLC with SteemPress : https://joebrochin.com/black-friday-safe-shopping/
Sorry folks, this post came late. I didn't time it right for posting on the blog. Hey, at least you know for next year or Christmas shopping :-)