The holiday season is prime time for scammers to try and take advantage of people online.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre people have lost $144 million to frauds so far this year which is up 30 percent over all of last year.
Common scams during the holidays include setting up fake websites, online stores or social media accounts to appear like legitimate sellers.
Another scam is presenting themselves as sellers on websites like Amazon or Ebay before disappearing after a payment.
Safety tips for online shopping:
Stick to HTTPS websites- the S stand for secure which means personal details are safer.
Check that the URL is right…even a single letter difference could take you to a malicious website.
Beware of shortened URLS- they are more aesthetically appealing but open the door for scammers.
Avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi- as they often have poor security are easy for hackers to breach
Monitor bank statements- keep an eye out for suspicious transactions and report them.
