Shop stress-free and safe online this Christmas

To coincide with the busiest online shopping weeks of the year (9th and 16th December), APACS, the UK payments association is launching a fraud awareness campaign to promote the online security systems provided by Visa and MasterCard.

Newly commissioned research by APACS highlights how consumer confidence in online shopping has risen dramatically, with consumers of all ages and backgrounds now using the internet to shop. The statistics demonstrate that consumers are becoming increasingly confident making purchases online and, as a result, unsurprisingly are expected to opt for the stress-free environment of Christmas shopping on the internet rather than on the high street more this year than ever before. Stress appears to be the main factor in these findings with 85% of those interviewed admitting to finding the crowded high street too stressful; whereas only 6% of those who shop online claimed to have felt stressed and 24% have not felt at all stressed as a direct consequence of making online purchases.

However, although the research highlights a new found confidence in online shopping it is clear that consumers are still putting their cards at risk. A third of online shoppers claim to do so without being 100% sure that the website is secure with the biggest risk takers being the younger generation (16-24 year olds). Of those consumers who shop online but don’t always feel safe doing so, 72% cited the worry of having their details accessed by fraudsters while making a purchase.

Figures released by APACS early in November showed that overall card fraud was in decline. However, internet, telephone and mail order fraud, which now accounts for 46% of all losses, grew by 5% year on year (Jan-Jun 2006 v Jan-Jun 05). The majority of internet card fraud, however, involves a criminal obtaining genuine card details in the real world. Cardholders can play their part in tackling this type of card fraud by keeping their card details safe and secure, and keeping their card in sight at all times.

To ensure that last minute online Christmas shopping continues to be hassle-free, APACS recommends that online shoppers should register with Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode whenever they are given the option of doing so. These services are designed to prevent fraudsters using stolen card details online. Cardholders simply need to register for the service and choose a private password for use when shopping online at a participating retailers.

Signing up to e-commerce solutions like MasterCard SecureCode and Verified by Visa helps prevent online fraud, as cardholders are able to identify themselves as the genuine cardholder by giving a password. Simply look out for the option to sign up when you are paying online or visit mastercard.co.uk/securecode or visaeurope.com/verified where you will also be able to see if your card is eligible. By registering you will prevent a fraudster from using your card details on participating sites as only you will know the password.

Sandra Quinn, director of corporate communications at APACS, said: “Our research has shown that nearly half of those who shop online do so more at Christmas than any other time of the year and just over a quarter of that group will do about half of their Christmas shopping online. We would therefore urge them to arm themselves against the fraudsters by signing up where possible to Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode for a stress and hassle-free shopping experience this Christmas.”

In order to further protect yourself from fraud this Christmas when making card transactions online, follow APACS’ top ten online shopping tips –available to download at cardwatch.org.uk or banksafeonline.org.uk:

Sign up whenever you are given the option whilst shopping online to Verified by Visa (visaeurope.com/verified) or MasterCard SecureCode (mastercard.co.uk/securecode).

Cardholders can also visit their bank’s website for further information.

Don’t give away your PINs or bank passwords to cold callers or in response to unsolicited emails - often known as phishing scams.

Only ever use a protected computer. Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed. Visit getsafeonline.org for more information.

Keep your cards and card details safe in the real world. Most internet fraud happens because card details are stolen in the real world and used online so keep them safe at all times.

Only shop at secure websites. Ensure that the security icon – the locked padlock or unbroken key symbol – is showing at the bottom of your browser window before sending your card details. The beginning of the retailer’s Internet address should also change from “http” to “https” when a purchase is made using a secure connection.

Make sure your browser is set to the highest level of security notification and monitoring.

The most popular browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.

Check that you’re using a recent version – you can usually download the latest version from these browsers’ websites.

Always check your statements. If you find a transaction on your statement that you did not make, contact your bank or card company immediately. Destroy, or preferably shred, any documents that contain information relating to your financial affairs.

Consider having one credit card specifically for internet-only use. This would enable you to monitor transactions at a glance and credit cards offer additional consumer protection should anything go wrong.

Print out your order. When shopping online make sure you get a hard copy of both your order form and the retailer’s terms and conditions.

Visit the websites cardwatch.org.uk, banksafeonline.org.uk and getsafeonline.org, for more information about how to shop and bank safely online.