40 days and 40 online shopping nights until Christmas
14 November 2006
With only 40 days until Christmas and millions of shoppers choosing to shop online to avoid the high street rush, Barclaycard has today released research which shows that 1 in 10 shoppers are making basic internet security mistakes when they shop online.
The figures show, that based on Internet shopping levels in 2005, 2.5 million people could be making basic mistakes every year when they buy goods and services online. The research comes as Barclaycard, which expects its customers to make over 1 million online transactions over the festive period, releases advice for shoppers to ensure that they are taking the simple steps necessary to keep their online Christmas shopping as safe as it should be.
Barclaycard, whose free Barclaycard Secure service protects customers’ cards against unauthorised use when they shop online, polled more than 1800 people across the UK on their online shopping habits.
The research found that more than a quarter (27 percent) were unsure how to check if the website they were using was secure or not. Despite the uncertainty felt by shoppers, 1 in 10 were not helping themselves by continuing to make basic errors when shopping online.
Mistakes
These included:
Writing down passwords or saving them in an unprotected area on a computer (13 percent)
More than half (57 percent) are not checking that the website they are using has the more secure “https” type of web address
Using their credit card details on computers which others have access to - such as in internet cafes or libraries (14 percent).
Despite their uncertainty, consumers remain undeterred from using credit or debit card details on potentially non-secure websites. 40 percent of those surveyed said they would continue to make a purchase even if they had concerns about the website they were using.
Martin Warwick, Head of Card Fraud Operations at Barclaycard, said: “Shopping online is a safe and convenient way of buying. However, it is concerning that despite all the advice and information available on fraud protection, many consumers are not confident internet shoppers and are making really basic mistakes when it comes to using their credit or debit cards through websites.
“There are very simple things consumers can do to shop safely and confidently online, and the internet is a great place to buy your presents this Christmas. By following the easy guidelines, and by using additional tools such as Barclaycard Secure, which one million of our own customers have now signed up to, consumers can save themselves from the inconvenience of plastic card fraud over the festive period.”
The research also found that more than 40 percent of people polled said they would buy online more frequently if they felt that internet shopping was more secure. Thus, to reassure consumers and help them take the simple steps to protect themselves, Barclaycard has today provided twelve top tips for staying safe online over the festive season.
Barclaycard‘s Twelve Christmas Tips for Shopping Safely Online
1. Install and update anti-virus, anti-spyware, and personal firewall software on your home computer.
2. Use a secure browser and set it to high security.
3. Check for a locked padlock or key symbol at the bottom of your browser window.
4. Check the website address – a secure site will often have https:// at the beginning instead of http:// (the 's' stands for secure) while you make a purchase.
5. Learn and then destroy all passwords and PINs and do not hand these details to anyone.
6. Sign Up to Verified by VISA (www.visaeurope.com/verified) or MasterCard SecureCode (www.mastercard.com/securecd).
7. If you're not familiar with an online store, get some company background, including their phone number and postal address before you buy, or look for the TrustUK logo. For further information, visit http://www.barclaycard.co.uk/customer_service/fraud/redirect.html?url=http://www.trustuk.org.uk.
8. Be wary using computers others could have access to, such as those in internet cafes, and do not use any computer that you suspect may be insecure.
9. Save all records of your online transactions and note down the website address, just in case.
10. Check the items on your monthly statement as soon as you receive it against your saved receipts. If there are items relating to payments that you don't recognise, contact your card issuer immediately.
11. Remember, the use of online or third party payment methods such as Paypal or Mypay systems may affect your legal rights to claim for non receipt of goods, faulty goods or missing refunds as Paypal or similar companies are not the supplier of the goods.
12. Visit your banks’ website for more information and keep updated with the best ways of shopping online and what to be aware of at: http://www.getsafeonline.org/ and http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/
