Online Sales: How to Avoid Scams? Free Antivirus

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Online Sales: How to Avoid Scams? Free Antivirus


Traders and shoppers are getting ready for a great shopping weekend, but unfortunately, they're not the only ones getting to work. The days dedicated to sales also attract the attention of malicious people and cybercriminals, who take advantage of the sharp increase in purchases to multiply attacks: they know very well that, in our haste to grab the best offer, we all have tended to let our guard down and are more likely to fall victim to a scam. Cybersecurity experts report that the wave of dangerous URLs is sweeping through October and November, on Sale Friday and Cyber ​​Monday.


We have prepared a series of tips to help you shop safely online, avoid unpleasant surprises and protect you from possible scams circulating on the internet. These tips apply on a daily basis, but they are all the more useful during this time when the hunt for the perfect deal makes us easy prey for scammers.


How to Shop Safely On The Internet?

Update Browsers and Protect Your Devices

Before taking a look at the offers, it's essential to protect the device you use to browse. If you have already installed an antivirus, make sure it is always up to date and make sure you are using the latest version available, so that you can take advantage of all of its functions. Many antivirus programs also offer protection at the time of online purchase and block dangerous websites before they load. Also, don't forget to update the browsers you use, as new threats can make them vulnerable.


Beware Of Fake Websites

During this period, it is advisable to give preference to official websites or online stores of well-known chain stores. If you have found a new site for your purchases, first check that the service is protected and secure: check that the address bar contains the padlock or that the URL begins with HTTPS: //. The "s" indicates that the web address has been encrypted and protected by the SSL certificate. Without HTTPS, any information entered can easily be intercepted by hackers. In any case, if you have any doubts, do not hesitate to ask for information before purchasing. It is therefore essential that the site in question contains all the references of the company that sells online, as for physical stores (telephone number, postal or e-mail address, tax data). A site that does not contain any of this information might have something to hide. It is also always useful to read reviews posted online by users to get information about the reliability of the site.


Block Ads and Prevent the Tracking of What You Do Online

In recent years, ads have become one of the most common mechanisms used by hackers to compromise the functioning of our devices. To protect yourself from this, add an ad blocker type extension to your browser, which blocks infected pop-ups and annoying banner ads that we are literally bombarded with. Safe Shopping offers a solution to these problems and protects you when shopping online: in addition to blocking the display of unwanted banner ads and pop-ups, it prevents third parties from tracking your online activities and can also help you find the best deals for the items you are looking for.


Beware of a Phishing Mail

Eliminate any promotional messages that come from unknown sources or that appear suspicious. Instead of clicking on links in the email or downloading attachments, go to the site listed to make sure the offer actually exists. Another solution is to verify the sender email or web address to which the message returns by hovering over it with the mouse cursor, but without clicking on it: it is impossible to find on the internet two domains with the same web address, and often criminals associate with their own fraudulent sites URLs which do not differ only one character compared to official sites. So if you notice any spelling error in the offer link or the promotional email message, drop it - these are sure to be signs of fraud.


Use a Different Password for Each Shopping Site

It might sound trivial, but creating a strong password is really one of the easiest ways to protect yourself against online hacking. Although it is tempting to want to reuse the same passwords, given the large number of passwords that must be remembered, doing so can put yourself at great risk: if hackers find out your password, they will easily connect to all your accounts. This is the reason why it is advisable to rely on a password manager, which remembers your passwords for you.


Control the Movements Of Your Credit Card

Keep an eye on your bank statements to make sure there haven't been any unusual withdrawals. Criminals know that transactions increase in times of sales and they hope that irregular withdrawals go unnoticed. Many online banking applications send push notifications to inform the user in real-time about transactions made with their bank card. Activate them to monitor the available balance and receive notifications about payments and withdrawals from your credit card.


Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi to Shop Online

Using a public Wi-Fi network to search for the great Friday sale deals could expose you to many security dangers. If you conduct banking transactions with an insecure internet connection, hackers may gain access to your devices and data as well as your credentials. It is always best to set up a virtual private network (VPN) to connect to the internet securely and to protect your data.


 


While cybersecurity threats are always more sophisticated, there are several ways to defend yourself. To do this, we have created  Free Antivirus Security: it is not just an antivirus for laptops and smartphones, but a truly integrated solution of security, privacy and performance optimization with one click. Free Security blocks annoying advertisements and protects you from attempts by third parties to track your online activities.


Free Antivirus Security is completely free, but the various premium options improve its functions and performance.

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