Page 10 - TODAY magazine Issue 1 2021

YOUR LIFE // ONLINE SHOPPING
Ways to outsmart
SCAMMERS
As the Covid-19 lockdown pushes us to do more and more
online, it is creating an inviting hunting ground for hackers, fraudsters and scammers. Norma Young explains what we can do to protect ourselves.
In some ways, finding what you’re looking for is far easier on a website than it is in a physical store. Instead of wandering up and down aisles or looking for a staff member to ask, you can
just type in your required item in the search bar. After scanning through the options, you make your choice and add it to your cart. This is like your shopping basket or trolley. When you’re ready to check out, you’ll have to choose a payment method. At this point you need to be careful.
The most popular payment options are via credit card or EFT, which is when you pay the money from your bank into the retailer’s account. When using
one of these, make sure that you are using two-factor authentication, which is a two-step process to verify that the transaction is legitimate. In addition to entering your banking password or PIN, you will also be emailed or SMS-ed a one-time password (OTP). Unless a hacker or scammer also has your phone or access to your email to get the OTP, two-factor authentication makes online shopping safer for retailers and consumers alike.
If you don’t want to use your credit or debit card
to pay online, you could consider Mobicred. It allows you to shop at over 2 000 South African retailers and pay for everything with a debit order at the end of the month. Just be sure to pay the full amount, otherwise you will be charged a monthly administration fee as well as 20.5% interest on the outstanding balance.
TO SAVE OR NOT TO SAVE YOUR DETAILS
‘Give out as little personal information as possible,’ says Kerissa Varma, Chief Information Security Officer at Old Mutual. ‘If you are asked for things like your ID number or any other details that
aren’t necessary to be able to finish the transaction and deliver your order, you have reason to be suspicious. Think of what’s practical.’
If you’ve used a specific online shop before, you may notice the next time that your details appear automatically even though you haven’t stored them.
This happens when your browser, for instance Chrome or Firefox, autorecords your data. Varma therefore recommends disabling it under your settings, especially if you are using a shared device. (On Chrome, you will find your settings by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner of your screen.)
She makes another important point: Although a fraudulent transaction could be once-off, you’d be wise to check your bank statements in the following months. Fraudsters often return to help themselves to more of your money months or even a year down the line.