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Black Friday and Cyber Monday have landed and with Christmas fast approaching, there is always a significant increase in the numbers of people shopping online at this time of year.

More and more businesses are using the internet as the primary channel to sell goods and services. Although it’s convenient for consumers and retailers, it presents opportunities for fraudsters.

Some scams can be quite obvious, while others can be more elaborate and difficult to recognise. Knowing what to look for and how to avoid scams is the best way to stay safe.

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau offers the following tips to help protect against online fraud.

When shopping online make sure you use trusted and reputable websites.

Many people are being deceived by shopping on cloned websites or on legitimate ‘second sales’ sites or where they are persuaded to go off-site for a cheaper cash deal. Businesses can find themselves engaged with customers and other businesses who are often unknown to them.

The ‘golden rules’ of online shopping:

• Use secure websites/trusted sources
• Make sure the website you are on is real – not cloned or fake.
• Make sure your internet access is secure.
• Make sure there is a ‘https’ at the beginning of the web address and a ‘padlock’ symbol displayed beside the website address before the purchase is made – this indicates a secure connection. The padlock symbol alone does not make a website legitimate. When the beginning of the retailer’s website address changes from ‘http’ to ‘https’ before a purchase is made it means that you are using a secure connection.
• Check reviews and ratings – especially for unknown stores and sellers
• Look for the trust seals – trust seals are commonly placed on homepages, login pages, and checkout pages. They are immediately recognisable and they remind visitors that they are secure on this page. You can click on them to ensure they are authentic.
• Always use credit cards when purchasing online – they have a strong customer protection policy. Alternatively, use an online payment option, of which there are many.
• Do not send money direct to someone you do not know – you wouldn’t give money to a random person on the street, the internet should be no different.
• Never send your credit card details – including PIN number or any other information – to any person by email.
• If you do not complete a purchase do not submit or save your card details.
• Never purchase through social media or where the ‘offer’ came to you via social media.
• Stop, think and check before committing to buy.

• Know your product (is there a history of it being attractive to fraudsters?)
• Know your customer
• Implement safe payment methods
• Keep data secure.