How to thwart cyber grinchSFlbfrom stealing holiday spirit

As the annual retail ritual best known as the holiday shopping frenzy swings into high gear, ’tis the season for consumers to be alert, cautious, skeptical and savvy.

Increasingly such cautious conduct not only applies to malls, boutiques and shopping plaza parking lots but also to online retail sites.

In the battle of clicks versus bricks, the clicks are winning. For the first time in history, online shoppers outnumbered their brick-and-mortar counterparts during this year’s Black Friday weekend. According to the National Retail Federation, more than 103 million Americans shopped online last weekend compared with 102 million who ventured into traditional stores.

That shift redefines the landscape for the holiday grinches of the world out to score an easy buck through trickery, thievery and con artistry.

To avoid scams while shopping online, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has cobbled together a must-read list for sharp shoppers to take to heart to avoid falling victim to cyber bandits.

UPDATES ARE CRITICAL

First, DeWine encourages consumers to install updates on phones, tablets, personal computers or other electronic devices and add new security patches and critical files to ensure that apps, anti-virus software, operating systems and other important programs are up to date before entering payment information.

Second, review complaints against online sellers. Check for consumer complaints on file with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Better Business Bureau. Also use a search engine to type the name of the company or website along with terms such as “complaint,” “scam,” or “review.” If you find mostly negative information, or if you find no information at all, be skeptical. Don’t enter any personal information if a website seems less than credible.

Third, use a secure Internet connection. Before entering a credit-card number or other personal information, be sure the web address begins with “https” instead of “http.” The “s” indicates a secure connection. Also, do not use free, public Wi-Fi to log in to your bank accounts or to enter your credit-card information.

USE CREDIT CARDS

Fourth, pay with a credit card. They generally have stronger protections against fraudulent charges. Be sure to save documentation, such as invoices and confirmation emails, to compare them against credit-card statements. If you find any unusual activity or unauthorized purchases, report it to your credit-card provider immediately. Also, be suspicious of sellers that require payment via wire transfer or prepaid money card. These are preferred payment methods for scam artists, because it is difficult to recover or trace the money once it’s sent.

Finally, never respond to pop-up messages. Some pop-up messages are placed by scam artists hoping to obtain your money or personal information.

Of course, those five tips from De- Wine do not provide sure-fire protection from the increasingly tech-savvy gang of Internet hooligans trolling the cyber marketplace. But they do provide some valuable lessons to prevent online thugs from ripping the heart of joy and giving out of your holiday season.