Online Shoppers Need to Be More Secure

Secure shopping websites have made it much more attractive for consumers to spend billions of pounds on the web.

But many shoppers are ignoring basic internet security procedures, opening themselves up to online fraud.

Recent research showed one in ten online shoppers, or 2.5 million people, were making basic mistakes when shopping online. Common errors included writing down passwords or saving them in an unprotected area on a computer.

More than half of online shoppers were not checking the website they were using had the more secure “https” type of web address before purchasing. In addition, 14 per cent used their credit card details on computers which others had access to, such as those in internet cafes or libraries.

Some 40 per cent said they would continue to make a purchase online even if they had concerns about the website they were using.

Recent figures from APACS, the UK payment association, found that online banking fraud had increased by 55 per cent year on year.

Incidents of “phishing” – in which fraudsters set up a fake version of a genuine bank website and then send out thousands or even millions of spam emails driving consumers to the site – had jumped significantly.

Between January and June there were more than 5,000 phishing frauds, compared to just 312 in the first six months of last year.

To reduce the risk of becoming a victim, consumers are recommended to use a secure browser with updated anti-virus protection. Shoppers are also encouraged to learn and destroy any passwords and PINs and keep records of online transactions and websites used.

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