During Cyber Monday every year, lots of people find themselves at the mercy of online scammers trying to pull a fast one in the middle of all the excitement. To help make sure you stay safe this year as you start your holiday shopping, Computer CPR is here with a few tips to protect you and your computer throughout the process.
Only Shop On Credible Websites
If there is a suspicious link on the website, don’t click it. Anything that makes you doubt the website’s credibility should be examined, and if you aren’t convinced of the safety of any website, click out of there! Many malicious websites will disguise themselves as great Cyber Monday deals: if it looks too good to be true, go with your gut.
Keep Your Anti-Virus Software Up To Date
You never know what your computer might come into contact with during Cyber Monday. It’s best to make sure that all your anti-virus software and malware protection is up to date before you start browsing all the “great deals” you might find in your email inbox or on pop-ups across other websites. Do a quick check to make sure that everything you have installed to protect your computer is in working order and updated.
Use A Credit Card Instead Of A Debit Card
It’s always best to use your credit card rather than a debit card while making purchases online. This allows you to dispute any questionable charges if they are discovered later by contacting your credit card provider. Unfortunately, debit cards don’t provide the same level of security and often don’t provide the ability to undo any purchases made on a misleading website.
Never wire any money to online vendors to make purchases from them or give them prepaid debit cards – if the store is legitimate, the payment methods should be more in line with what you would expect from any other online store.
Keep An Eye Out For Phishing And Virus Scams
With all the excitement surrounding all the sales and coupon codes flooding your email inbox, it can be easy to let your guard down and forget about the dangers of clicking on suspicious emails. Watch out for anything that shows up in your inbox that isn’t from a well-known business.
You might be checking your junk folder more than usual as you’re looking around for codes and offers, but don’t get tricked into opening an email that doesn’t belong there. The excitement of possibly finding a great deal on the perfect holiday gift or just receiving so many extra emails can be misleading.
Beware Sketchy-Looking Charities
You’ll probably see a lot of emails requesting your donation to a certain charity. Since it is the season of giving, many of these emails will be from legitimate sites and charities. However, many illegitimate sites that are looking to trick you into giving them your money will be taking advantage of the holiday season as well as your overloaded internet experience. They’re counting on you to simply sign up to give money without double checking the source: always make sure that you check to verify where any email comes from, especially if it’s asking for money.
Call Computer CPR For Your Cyber Monday Security
To make sure your computer is prepped and ready for any cyber risks you’ll face during Cyber Monday, give Computer CPR a call! Having a fortified computer will be a great safety net when it comes to any suspicious activity you might come into contact with during Cyber Monday. Give us a call today!