Because of the corona virus, an increasing number of people stay at home and shop online. What should you look out for to stay secure when shopping online?
Whether food, books, smartphones or flowers are involved: Due to the lockdown, online shops are experiencing a virtual run on their goods. For many, this is the only way to obtain certain things. On the other hand, there are many people new to this way of shopping, and you might just be asking yourself what to look out for to stay secure?
To be able to shop as securely as possible on the Internet, you should follow these recommendations:
- Shop only at trustworthy online shops
You should check out the trader you are dealing with before you buy online every time. Next to large and familiar traders, there are also many unknown ones. You can tell a reputable trader by the following characteristics:- Does the website have a transparent design? Are T&Cs and their contact details (telephone, e-mail, etc.) listed?
- Is it a Swiss provider?
- Do they have a free-of-charge hotline?
- Enter their name into a search engine: Are the reports you find positive or negative ones?
- Check that the connection is secure before entering any sensitive details
Regardless of whether you are using an online shop: Make sure that all data (in particular all passwords and credit card details) are transmitted in encrypted form. You can read up on how to recognise a secure connection here. - Use secure passwords
Next to account details, passwords for online shops are a favourite target of so-called «phishers». Using such passwords, criminals could order goods at your expense or abuse your credit card details for other purposes. You can read up on how to create and use secure passwords here. - Be careful with advance payments
If possible, always order your goods on account and don’t pay in advance. Otherwise there is a risk that you never receive your goods and lose your money. - Protect your devices
Make sure your devices are well protected with the help of our «5 steps for your digital security».
Further information can also be found on the online shopping guide by the Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft SECO.
