Online shopping, especially during the festive season, is a regular activity for consumers, while also providing fertile ground for cybercriminals. Against this backdrop, Visa and the National Cybersecurity Authority are joining forces in a joint awareness campaign to protect consumers when they shop online.
As the accompanying announcement notes, fraudsters are now using artificial intelligence to create fake online stores, fabricated reviews and misleading offers that look genuine. This is making it increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish reputable businesses from scams. To help protect consumers, Visa and the National Cybersecurity Authority are offering five simple tips to help them shop more safely.
The five tips are:
Protect your payments and monitor your account
Choose a payment method that offers protection, and never share your PIN, password or security codes with a seller. If your card issuer or bank offers instant transaction alerts, switch them on so you can quickly spot any charges for transactions you did not authorise. If you suddenly receive a message asking you to pay a delivery fee, check your order using the courier company’s official app or website. Do not click the link in the message.
Read reviews carefully
Do not look only at a business’s ratings. Read recent reviews, both positive and negative, and look for information about the product and delivery. If the reviews seem alike or lack meaningful detail, take particular care.
Compare prices
Look for the same product on the brand’s official website and at other reputable retailers. Factor in shipping costs. If a price seems too good to be true, something is probably wrong.
Do not blindly trust AI recommendations
Artificial intelligence tools can help you discover products, but they cannot always guarantee that an online store is trustworthy. Before completing your order, check the seller’s details and the product information yourself.
Check who the seller is
Look for the business’s name, contact details, delivery information and returns policy. If you are buying through an online marketplace, check who the actual seller is. A well-designed, professional-looking website does not necessarily mean the store is trustworthy.
Nikos Petrakis, Visa’s Country Manager for Greece, said: “Online shopping offers significant convenience, but it also calls for care. At Visa, we invest billions in technology and innovation to keep payments secure, preventing more than $40 billion in fraud each year. Security, however, is a shared effort. By adopting a few simple practices, consumers can strengthen their protection further and shop with confidence, knowing that Visa provides security assurance for every transaction.”
Michalis Bletsas, Governor of the Independent Cybersecurity Authority, said: “The arrival of artificial intelligence in cybercrime is rapidly changing the threat landscape, making scams look convincing and difficult to identify. Through our joint campaign, we are raising awareness and offering a guide to safe online shopping based on five critical steps consumers should follow before authorising a digital payment. A few seconds of caution can make a difference and prevent significant financial losses.”