Here's how to avoid online fraudsters when doing your Christmas shopping

Gardaí have warned an increasing number of businesses using the internet to sell goods or services gives opportunities to fraudsters to target both customers and businesses.

Consumers should use familiar brands or websites when shopping online for Christmas and New Year sales.

That is the warning from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau ahead of the last week of shopping before Christmas.

Gardaí say an increasing number of businesses using the internet to sell goods or services is presenting opportunities to fraudsters to target both customers and businesses.

Detective Inspector Mel Smyth of the GNECB said: “Try to use websites with padlock security. Try to use well-known websites from high street businesses. Be careful of dealing with someone you can’t identify.” 

He also advises people to use their credit card when shopping online as transactions are covered by insurance.

Gardaí also advise people engaged in last-minute shopping to take time to research the companies they plan to purchase from, especially if they have never bought from them previously. They advise that shoppers should check reviews and ratings of businesses before buying from them.

Gardaí have also urged people never to send their card details by email, text or other messaging services.

They also advise:

• If a website is asking you to send money to a random PayPal address, wire it by Western Union, pay in iTunes gift cards or only deals in cryptocurrency, that should send up a red flag. The majority of the time, those methods are done to avoid scrutiny and ensure that a transaction can’t be reversed.
• Always keep a record of your purchase, print or save a copy of your order. Ensure you read the terms and conditions associated with any purchase.
• Be careful about cut-price offers - if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• Do not under any circumstances use public Wi-Fi when making payments — switch to 3G/4G on your phone if necessary.
• Use secure websites. Make sure the website you are on is real — not cloned or fake. Make sure there is an "https" at the beginning of the web address and a padlock symbol displayed beside the URL before the purchase is made — this indicates a secure connection.
• Look for the trust seals. Trust seals are commonly placed on homepages, login pages, and checkout pages. They’re immediately recognisable and they remind visitors that they are secure on this page.
• Know the website’s policy on refunds and know your consumer rights. 
• Where selling platforms offer an official, safe way of paying, use this rather than sending money directly to a third party — otherwise use an online payment option such as PayPal, which helps to protect you.
• Never transfer money directly or pay cash — use a credit card if not using a service like PayPal.