Each day this week, in the build up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we’ll be offering you tips and advice to stay as safe as possible when shopping online.

Use A Payment Method With Buyer Protection & Check For Return Policies

As convenient as they may be, debit cards should be avoided when shopping online.

Credit cards usually offer greater buyer protections, with set limits on how much you are liable for if someone steals your number or rips you off. They also give you more chance of getting your money back if there is a problem.

Online payment systems such as PayPal provide an extra layer between you and retailers, meaning you never share personal or account information with the retailers.

Meanwhile, legitimate retailers almost always allow returns. Online only retailers usually have a no-questions return policy.

Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers often allow you to return items purchased online at physical stores. If return policies do not exist, are hard to find, or are in any way convoluted, find another site to do business with.

Don’t Forget
Complete the new 2016 Cyber Crime survey, so we can see the full scope of Cyber Crime in Warwickshire, and across West Mercia and the West Midlands – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RegionalCyber16

For more information about our work, please visit www.safeinwarwickshire.com/cybercrime

Cyber Aware is a cross-government campaign, funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. They aim to measurably and significantly improve the online safety behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses (SMEs).

Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. Their website offers advice on how you can protect yourself, your computers and devices, and your business against the likes of fraud, identity theft, viruses and other potential online problems.

ThinkUKnow is a national website which offers tailored advice to young people about online safety concerns. There is also a section on there if you are a parent/carer or a teacher who is concerned about a young person’s safety online.