Online shopping at the privacy of one’s home or mobile device is very convenient because you can shop at any time, anywhere, without physically going to a brick and mortar store. In addition, you can even purchase heavy things can be delivered to your home. But just like a regular Thethreatreport.com reader, you should know by now that convenience is a natural enemy of security and privacy. Be careful when using shopping platforms/apps as there are problems with them that cannot be known from the onset. Better consult with current customers of the shopping app, read opinions and reviews about their services before making any expensive purchases through their platforms.
Some mail-order sites that compare product prices with multiple mail-order sites may turn out to be malicious sites, add to the possibility of them selling counterfeit products or over priced products compared to a physical retail shop. If it is cheaper than the fixed price, you will want to buy it if you trust the brand and the reputation of the seller can be verified, but in the case of a malicious site, please be aware that it may be a trap that uses the consumer’s psychology – also known as social engineering. When you make a purchase, compare the same product on multiple sites and check the average price.
In the case of the mail order site, check whether the name, address, and contact telephone numbers of the company you are doing business with, it is also good to have a good understanding of the company’s reputation before diving in. Please note that mail order sites with no listed address, contact information or email address only are redflags, these companies are probably fly-by-night retail business that may cause you more harm than benefit if you purchase from them. If you are unsure if your store can be trusted, it is also effective to search the displayed address using Google Maps, Bing Maps, Waze. It is a due diligence of the customer to research for the legitimacy of the store.
If there is no page that describes the return of the product purchased from an online store, within eight days from the date of delivery of the product, the contract should be canceled even if it is refused by the mail-order site. If there is a page that describes the return, the return will be processed according to the content of the special offer.
In many mail order sites that check whether TLS encryption has been introduced on the payment procedure page. This is a mechanism that encrypts input information and sends / receives data so that payment information is not leaked out, it is used legitimately on the payment page of mail order site. However, some mail order sites operated by major mail order sites also have malicious vendors operating there. Even when shopping at a major mail-order site, be sure to check who is selling and from where.
Also, in the case of a major mail-order site, there may be a review (impressions of people who have already purchased) for each product or shop, so be sure to check it. If you have ordered at a suspicious mail order site for items that have not been delivered even after the “ship date“ or “scheduled delivery date“, please contact the mail order site for shipping status. If there is no answer or no clear answer even if you inquire, it may be a mail-order fraud.
If you have already paid for your credit card or account transfer, you can use the information from your credit card or bank account, a copy of the email sent from the other party or a screenshot of the product page. Please submit a report of damage to the crime consultation counter. Online shopping is prone to troubles because it can not be purchased on the spot to see the real thing. Therefore, be sure to check if it is a mail order site where you can shop with confidence, and defend yourself.
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