There's always a "beware" in life, and shopping online is no different. And because internet crime can be perpetrated by someone anywhere, we all have to remain vigilant.
In a story that reporter Eplunus Colvin wrote this week, an online site that pays attention to such things said that 5,000 sites were established this month that were likely scam and phishing sites. This month!
"Phishing sites often imitate well-known sites such as the log-in page for PayPal, but during the holiday shopping season, cybercriminals set up original scam websites with tempting deals and rewards," the company said.
The impact is significant, even in a relatively small state such as Arkansas.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center said that in 2019, Arkansans lost more than $22.6 million in a variety of online come-ons. Chances are, the number is quite a bit higher as some scams may have gone unnoticed or unreported.
So how can one protect oneself?
The age-old "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is a place to start. Unfamiliar sites that offer unreasonably low prices should throw up red flags, the FBI said. And if the seller wants to be paid in gift cards, that also is a sign of danger.
There is also the risk of having one's personal information stolen during any transaction, said Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.
"It's important for Arkansans to always be careful whether they are shopping online or in-store this Christmas season," Rutledge said. "Far too often, I've seen the lengths that scam artists will go in an attempt to steal from consumers and take any opportunity to steal money and personal information."
There are also a variety of other ways to keep your money or your personal information from being stolen. Many of them are standard operating procedures by now, such as not giving out any private information, think address, telephone number or Social Security number, unless you know who is asking for it, why exactly they need it and how they will use it.
Some ways to protect yourself aren't so commonsensical, such as checking to make sure the tiny lock icon is there on the browser's toolbar and that the https on the url includes the "s" that shows it's secure.
Oh, and pay with an old-fashioned credit card. That way, you have a clear record on your statement of what every transaction was and you have legal recourse to dispute the charge if it all blows up.
Just being aware is half of the battle, knowing that danger lurks. It's not a very cheery thing to have to consider for every online transaction, but forever there have been people intent on separating you from your money and belongings. Nothing much has changed except those people can now do their deeds while sitting in their recliners.