More and more people are using their mobile phones to do their shopping. With Christmas coming, it is the season to be shopping on your mobile or tablet.

From the most recent study, it was found that 56% of Americans own a smart phone and 43% of these used their smart phone to purchase gifts for Christmas last year. Therefore, it is imperative that you ensure you are safe when shopping online.

 

 

 

 

Here, are six tips to keep you safe while you’re surfing.

1. Forget debit – go creditWhilst purchasing with your debit card may also seem more favorable, it is safer to use your credit card. This is because credit card companies provide safety and insurance when it comes to fraudulent activity. However, the best and safest option is to use a site like PayPal which uses industry leading technology to ensure safe transactions.
2. Take a screen capture
   Many of us will purchase gifts for our loved ones while we are on the tube to work – so, printing off a confirmation of the payment made can be pretty difficult. So, it is a good idea to screen shot the confirmation so that you have it for future reference. It is important not to solely rely on the merchant emailing you the payment confirmation.
3. Never open scam emails
   When you are on your smart phone travelling on the tube, it can be tempting to open random emails with huge discounts on. However, many of these can be phishing scams which work to steal your private data on your phone. This can be incredibly dangerous, so wait until you get to a PC or desktop.When you do open these emails – never click on the links in them, copy and paste them into the URL box of your browser. You will be able to tell if this site is safe if it has an SSL certificate, this will be shown by a green URL box and/or a padlock sign. If this is the case – this website is safe to use and purchase from.
4. Anti-virus protection
   Mobile malware is on the rise – in fact it is worse than it has ever been before. Therefore, it is vital that you have some sort of anti-virus protection to secure your device. You can purchase this software online – it works to scan all apps and software on your phone for viruses.
5. Update your browser app
   Always use the latest version of any browser app as it will be the safest against online viruses.
6. Public Wi-Fi
   Whilst it is always tempting to use public Wi-Fi, it can be extremely dangerous. If the Wi-Fi you are connected to is set up by a scam artist, they will have access to your credit card information. It is really important to be vigilant about what internet source you are connecting to.

With these tips in mind, you will be perfectly safe when you are Christmas shopping.

*Statistics source: http://digby.com/mobile-statistics/