Tips for secure online holiday shopping

Posted by Robert Siciliano on December 11th, 2009

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

UK officials shut down more than 1,200 online retailers who scammed millions from unsuspecting shoppers. Most of the sites, which appeared to be legitimate retailers selling jewelry and other high end items from brands such as Tiffany & Co. and UGG Australia, were created by identity thieves in Asia.  When victims entered their credit card data or bank details, or sent checks, their money was stolen. Some victims did receive counterfeit versions of the merchandise they ordered, while others were left with nothing. Nobody responsible for the fake websites has been caught.

Criminals who set up fake websites go through the same process as legitimate online retailers, using search engine optimization and marketing, and online advertising via adwords. They use keywords to boost their rankings on Internet searches, which means they show up alongside legitimate sites. These same techniques are being used to infect victims' computers with malicious software. Many victims are lured to scam websites after recieving phishing emails offering high-end products for low prices.

It's easy enough to avoid spoofed websites when phishing is the gateway. Common sense says to automatically be suspicious whenever you recieve an unsolicited offer through email. The same goes for offers recieved through tweets or other social media messages. Scammers commit social media identity theft every day.

If you aren't familiar with a particular online retailer, don't even bother clicking the links, especially if an offer seems too good to be true. And if the email does come from a known website, make sure the address is legitimate before clicking on a link. Beware of cybersquatting and typosquatting, which trick you into believing you're headed to a legitimate site.

When placing an order, look for "https" and an image of a closed padlock in the address bar, signifying that it's a secure page. Scammers don't generally bother to set up secure sites.

Beware of emails coming from eBay. I've been getting ten a day lately. It's difficult to tell if these are real or fake, and you may be directed to a spoof of the eBay website. If you're looking for deals on eBay, disregard emails and go directly to the site. You can use the search function to look for deals that were advertised in emails. And when you do decide to make an eBay purchase, check out the seller's history. eBay works based on an honor system, and if the seller has a pattern of great feedback, they are probably legitimate.

Pay close attention to your credit card and bank statements. Check them at least once every couple of weeks, and refute any unauthorized charges within two billing cycles. Don't use debit cards online, since they offer less protection and more liability than credit cards. And avoid paying buy check, since it's difficult if not impossible to put that money back into your account once it's gone.

Do business with people or companies you know, like, and trust. On occasion, I do buy from online retailers with the best deals, but only cheaper items, generally under $50.00. When I'm buying something more expensive, I stick to companies that also have brick and mortar locations.

Get a credit freeze. Go to ConsumersUnion.org and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

Invest in identity theft protection. Not all forms of identity theft protection can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk.

Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses holiday scams on Fox's Mike and Juliet Show.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixn26vVTfns[/youtube]

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.