Cape Town - South Africans are being cautioned to take extra care when shopping online as the festive season draws closers and scammers become more alluring.
Vuma, one of the country’s fibre network providers, is calling on South African households to be more attentive when shopping online this festive season and avoid being potential victims of online scams.
According to the fibre company, while it is understandable to fall victim to such cybercrimes, as some scammers have keen attention to detail, it can have a devastating effect that often leaves victims broke and cynical regarding online shopping.
Vuma’s Lianne Williams said: “It's officially the holiday season, and for many of us, that means the countdown to 'presents o’clock' December 25 is on. Real-life shops get crazy during the festive season, seeing more and more people choosing to shop online. Shopping online is also much easier now that more South Africans have access to the technology and unlimited fibre internet connectivity that enables this.
“Last year, South Africans spent R200 billion on festive season shopping and this year, according to FNB, its customers spent R2.4 billion on Black Friday deals. R670 million of that was spent on online shopping. Based on these figures, it’s safe to assume that many South Africans will be doing their festive purchasing online,” Williams said.
Adding that either we or someone we know, have made the mistake of trusting the wrong sites or fallen victim to one of the many phishing scams that surface during high shopping seasons.
“The internet is full of scams, so here are some tips to make sure you don’t get caught by an online-fly-by-night, so you need to know who to trust, know common scams and use proper passwords.”
Williams said: “Spotting an online scam is like spotting fake sneakers. From afar everything looks legit, but if you look closely you’ll see the signs. For example, if the website doesn’t start with ‘HTTPS’, then it's best to avoid it.”
“The ‘S’ in ‘HTTPS’ stands for secure, and using a site without security is opening yourself up to a world of risk. Also just like your favourite musician, scammers have a greatest hits playlist,” she said.
Here are some of the common tricks used by scammers to watch out for, as shared by Vuma:
Dodgy Discount Gift Cards: Everyone likes a bargain and thieves will try to take advantage of that. If you find a promotion for a gift card deal and they start asking you too many questions, especially about your banking details or ID, then cut your losses and run.
Phishing: This isn’t the one you see people doing when you go to the coast. Criminals will often use real-looking email or text messages with links in them to lure you into downloading malware (programs designed to mess up your device or gain unauthorised access to it). Don’t fall for it.
Your bank will never send you any email or other communication asking you to update or provide confidential information about you or your account.
Fake E-Commerce Sites: Just like that guy who broke your auntie’s heart in ’07, these scammers usually appear to be the real deal, rip you off, and then disappear in a flash.
Often, thieves either publish competitions or create entire websites that look like your favourite e-retailer’s website and acquire your details when you pay.
“To make sure you are safe, search the URL here, triple-check the refund policy, look out for any spelling errors and check the site’s reviews. Don’t click on any weird ads or “article links” and bookmark your favourite sites so that you can get there quickly.
“For South Africans who experience the benefits of unlimited connectivity, a new world of exciting, limitless shopping opportunities are at your fingertips.
“Like anything in life, you need to take a few safety precautions when shopping online. Once you do, you’ll have access to the best, legitimate, deals in the world,” Williams said.