6 simple tips to avoid online shopping scams this holiday

MANILA, Philippines - While online shopping gives you the opportunity to dodge the holiday madness in shopping malls, it also gives an opportunity for cyber criminals to get their "grinch" on.

Sure there are a lot of benefits that we can get from online shopping-skipping traffic, getting good deals, saving time-but it is important to keep in mind that as a responsible shopper, you should also be wary of the websites you are visiting.

With all the great online deals out there, it is almost impossible to avoid clicking and taking a look around without question. Do not let your guard down and succumb into the traps of cyber criminals. Here are some tips shared by Kaspersky Lab on how you can stay safe while shopping online. 

1. Hold off ransomware

The best defense against ransomware is to avoid it in the first place. Never open email attachments from unknown shopping sites, and always back-up your files. Twenty-three percent of new malware threats detected by Kaspersky Lab in the first quarter of 2015 were created to steal or extort money.

2. Think before you click

Phishing scams can happen anywhere. Avoid clicking on unexpected links sent via email, SMS or messengers. If possible, delete the messages right away.

3. Keep your passwords unpredictable and complicated

This is the most obvious warning that most people tend to ignore. Do not create passwords that can easily be predicted such as your favorite number or birthday. Create complex passwords to online shopping sites. Combine letters, number and special characters to make them harder to hack.

4. Find safe sites for holiday shopping

Do some research! Using search engines such as google can save you from the cyber criminals. Moreover, browse reviews of online shopping sites before trusting online shopping sites with your credit card info.

5. Make your gadget connections secure

Sure free items and services are great. But you should know that cyber criminals love to snoop for your credentials in unsecured wireless networks such as free public Wi-Fis. Another study conducted by Kaspersky Lab also showed almost half of surveyed mobile users expose their information to unsafe public Wi-Fi every day. Another way to keep them away from your private information is by turning off your Bluetooth on your devices.

6. Download security software

Keep your devices clean by having up-to-date software including security software, operating systems, programs and apps.