As Christmas draws quickly closer and the window to have the perfect gift shipped in time closes, the chances of stumbling into a fake online store is increasing. The price may be amazing, but how confident are you that the random online store you’ve found will deliver the goods?

Australians have already lost around $13 million in online shopping scams this year, more than all of 2020, and we’re only just now hitting the Christmas crazy period! With online shopping becoming the norm over the past 2 years, some (if not all) of your team will be spending their hard earned cash digitally.

Handing over your payment details to a dodgy online vendor could cause you to miss out on that awesome gift you’ve found or even worse- leave your personal details exposed to someone looking to make you their own personal Santa. Take a few extra precautions before you click the checkout button to limit the chances of your good will ruining the holidays:

1. It can be easy to make a site look and feel like a popular brand. Make sure you check that the site you’re on is what you think it is before you checkout.

2. Online advertising is a quick, cheap way to grab your attention. Don’t let a flashy ad and a cheap price catch you off guard.

3. Do your homework before you purchase from online stores you haven’t used before. Check for reviews and ask someone else’s opinion if you’re unsure.

4. Credit Card and PayPal payments are pretty safe and simple to set up nowadays. They also come with added fraud prevention features. Be wary of online stores that make you pay via a bank transfer or another method.

5. Check terms and conditions around refunds and returns in case something goes wrong. Check out their privacy policy and make sure you’re comfortable with what they say.

If your business runs an online store, make your customers more comfortable purchasing from you by giving them the gift of answers to the points above.