Over 55’s: protecting yourself when online shopping

With the January sales on the horizon, it’s important that over 55’s are keeping themselves safe whilst shopping online. For many, Boxing Day onwards is a chance to bag some bargains and with more retailers and products available online than ever before, the amount of people spending via the web is only set to increase. However, with this combined the current economic climate, it means more scammers are out in full force.

Online fraud can happen to anyone and almost 80% of fraud cases start online! Being vigilant is extremely important. This week, the Burnham Waters team take a look at the top tips to help protect yourself whist shopping online. Afterall, prevention is better than cure, where possible. 

Too Good to Be True

If you’re shopping online and find that one specific item for a price that seems too good to be true, chances are it probably is. Online scammers pick popular items and list them at discount prices to lure customers in. A customer thinks they’re getting a deal, when really, they are just providing someone with their payment information. Always check the website URL for misspellings and look for secure checkouts when finalising your purchase. 

Shop Where You Know

Echoing the point above, our advice to over 55’s would be to stick to what you know on the web. You’re always better shopping where you’re most comfortable and with reputable retailers. If you want to shop somewhere new, check the reviews first and be very wary of any websites that seem new and are touting ‘last minute deals’. Equally, be mindful of social media sites that don’t have a lot of followers.

Secure Website

One of the main indicators of an online shopping scam is an ‘unsecure’ website. These sites are vulnerable to hackers and could be using compromised payment systems that can steal your payment card information. 

Secure sites use what’s called SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption. This means that any information you enter - name, shipping address, card number - will be masked and can’t be intercepted by hackers. Unsecure sites won’t have these, so hackers could potentially see your payment information.

In the top of the address bar, look for HTTPS and a padlock symbol near the URL. Click on the padlock symbol to check whether the connection is secure, and the encryption certificate is valid.

Create Strong Passwords

When checking out online, you might be asked to set up an account with a password. Be sure to create one using a mix of upper and lowercase letters symbols and numbers. Set reminders to change your passwords regularly. 

One of the easiest ways that peoples shopping accounts are hacked are via social media. Personal information, like your common interests, hometown and even loved one’s names give hackers a great start for guessing passwords. So, randomised formations are sometimes better here, rather than saving ‘golf1964’ for each password, for example.

For over 55’s wanting extra security, you can enable two factor authentication to ensure only you can unlock your account. You can also store your credentials in a secure password manager, rather than noting it down on a word document or even on paper, to ensure this information doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

Grammar and Spelling

Incorrect grammar and spelling are tell-tale signs of illegitimacy. We all make typos, but lots of poor spelling, grammatical mistakes and things just not quite making sense could indicate that the website or email you’re looking at is designed to scam. 

In an email, a scam email will never address you by name and will often make the message sound urgent to panic you. Check the email domain too. No legitimate organisation will send emails from an address that ends ‘@gmail.com’, as this is a public domain. Equally, check the domain for spelling mistakes. Say you’re ordering from John Lewis, a fake domain might be misspelt, for example ‘jonlewis’.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

It’s common for deliveries to be missed or rescheduled, especially over the festivities. However, if you get an email that says ‘you’ve missed a delivery and there’s a charge due or your risk losing your parcel’ – don’t click the link to pay! There’s a high chance this is a scam. If you’re not sure, just contact the sender or courier company directly to find out information from a source you trust. They’ll be more than happy to help you and you can rest assured that you’ve not handed over money, or that someone ungenuine has access to your bank details. 

Ask for Help

For many over 55’s, the concept of technology as a whole can feel overwhelming. If you’re struggling, simply reach out! In an everchanging digital world, it’s important to gain confidence so that you can use the basics. Asking family and friends their advice when it comes to online shopping could help you avoid fraudsters. If you’re not sure, pick up the phone and of course, the team at Burnham Waters are always on hand to help on site too. Remember, no question is a silly one, especially when it comes to your personal and financial safety!

Get it Touch

Are you interested in becoming part of our forward thinking, luxury retirement community for over 55’s? Our community doors are always open, and we’d love to hear from you! Simply reach out via email at info@burnhamwaters.co.uk, or complete our enquiry form today. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our properties, we offer a downloadable brochure, complete with everything you need to know about our village. You can also call our friendly sales team today on 01621 861559.

Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of our home page and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest news on our community for the 55 and overs.