Pointers on how to stay out of fraudsters' sites

Published on Saturday 5 December 2009 13:13

SOARING fuel prices, the cost of parking, cold crowded streets and inflated prices could all be factors that prompt many Scots to desert the high street and shop online this Christmas.

In theory, if you shop on the internet, all it should take is a few clicks of the mouse and your Christmas shopping should be done.

However, not taking the time to check a website's legitimacy or payment methods could leave you exposed to fraudsters.

Scots seem more worried about online identity theft and fraud than other Brits. According to internet security firm Verisign, 30 per cent of Scots expressed concern about online security compared with 22 per cent of people elsewhere in the UK.

Fortunately, there are a number of precautions that can be taken to ensure you bag an online bargain and keep your credit card and personal details safe.

Firstly, know who you're buying from. If you use a "shopbot" or shopping comparison site to compare prices, you might end up at a site you don't recognise. You can use a directory such as safebuy.co.uk or shopsafe.co.uk to check out vendors you have not previously encountered. These directories check sites before listing them and test them for variables such as prices, site security and delivery.

If a site is not listed, it doesn't necessarily mean it is illegitimate – but you'll need to do a few more checks. A quick look at the site will give you an idea of how professional it is.

Prominent misspellings and frequent grammatical errors can be signs that a website is fraudulent. You can also look for simple visual cues that show that the site is authenticated and protected. Cues include a green address bar in high-security browsers, https:// in the browser, and a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser frame; all of these indicate the site is secure.

Take time to compare the checkout experience to well-known sites and look for any anomalies. Most well-run websites – such as Amazon or eBay – send order confirmation, shipping confirmation e-mails and allow you to print out such documentation. Beware of sites that just offer a simple form with no confirmation.

Also check whether the site displays a UK telephone number and contact address and, if you call the number, whether you actually get through to a real person.

Con Mallon, from internet security firm Symantec, warns if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

"Only shop at reputable online sites as unknown ones can be risky," he says. "If you want those designer shoes just like Cheryl Cole's and you've found the very same ones for a tenth of the price, then they're probably not real.

"Cyber-criminals are pros at creating websites and making them look identical to your favourite brand sites. The only noticeable difference is the big price reductions that encourage you to part with your credit-card details."

You should also be wary of e-mails that purport to take you to your favourite online store.

Always type the shop's address into your browser window. This will help prevent you from becoming a victim of a phishing scam. Phishers use fake versions of genuine voucher deals to get their victims to a phoney version of a favourite shop's website. Once you are there, the scammers can steal your passwords, logins, and stored credit-card information.

Make sure you register your cards with Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode if you haven't done so already. It is quick and easy and offers another level of protection – when you use these cards to shop online you'll have to enter a password for your payment to be accepted.

According to the UK Payments Administration, the number of cards registered with Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode is up 100 per cent on last Christmas. More advice about keeping your cards safe online can be found at becardsmart.org.uk, a website set up as part of the UK Cards Association's Be Card Smart Online campaign.

Katy Worobec, head of fraud control for the UK Cards' Association, says: "More of us than ever before will be doing our Christmas shopping online this year, and there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be doing so in complete confidence. Following the simple advice in our Be Card Smart Online campaign will help minimise the chances of cardholders becoming a victim of online fraud. We have recently seen the first ever fall in card fraud over the internet and, hopefully, this latest campaign will help even more of us stay free from fraud."

As well as keeping your cards safe, it's important to keep your personal computer safe too. Ensure that you have an up-to-date internet security package running from a well-known provider such as Norton or McAfee.

Once you've shopped online, you should only have to wait for the goods to arrive in the post. But to make sure everything goes to plan, check the items are in stock before ordering and the estimated delivery time. Some sites allow you to pay more for a quick delivery, which can be well worth it if you're running out of time ahead of Christmas or other special occasion.

If the goods aren't up to scratch or not what you wanted, it makes sense to be aware of the retailer's refund policies. Sometimes you'll have to pay postage fees to return goods. By law, online retailers have to give you seven days to return your gifts but others offer longer periods for returns.

Net benefits when next delivery is a baby

LAURA Fagan, 28, from East Kilbride, is a mother of one and has another baby on the way. She does most of her shopping online.

"I tend to shop online every month after payday," says Laura. "At the moment I'm mostly buying Christmas presents.

"I've got a 15-month-old daughter and I'm pregnant so I'm buying lots of things from Mothercare such as a buggy and crib. Shopping online is handy for bulky things as they get delivered and so I don't have to carry them.

"Also I don't have to traipse around the shops with my daughter."

Laura tends to stick to well-known retailers when shopping online, especially Mothercare, Next, Marks & Spencer and Tesco. She says it's often possible to find cheaper deals online than on the high street.

"For example, Mothercare were doing 10 per cent off if you spent more than 120, which they weren't doing in the shops. Also my mother-in-law wanted to get my daughter a certain toy for Christmas and it was a lot easier to find it online than in the shops."