During the holiday season the deals and sales are endless on the internet, which can be a great option when shopping for gifts for your friends and family. Especially for seniors, online shopping is a great way to avoid the crowds and long lines in stores and have packages delivered to your doorstep. But before the shopping marathon begins here are some tips for avoiding scams!

Not every website is a safe place to give your credit card information to. Shopping on one wrong website may result in being tricked by a scam, which could result in identity theft. According to a Pew Research Center survey, as of 2018, nearly 66% of Americans over 65 were internet users. With that number constantly growing it is important that all seniors understand the risks and how to manage them when shopping online.

We here at Assisting Hands in West Austin take digital security seriously, and below are some tips for avoiding scams and staying savvy online this holiday season. Have fun shopping for your loved ones, but avoid the cyber pickpockets who are definitely on the naughty list!

Stick to a Credit Card

When buying anything online it is best to use a credit card, rather than a debit card, for the most secure option. Since debit cards are linked to your bank account, it gives hackers more ability to steal your information and money. And since credit cards will usually immediately notify you of any suspicious transactions, you will be able to reverse any fraud or scam charges more quickly. And if you do need to dispute a charge, you won’t be liable for the purchase during the dispute. 

Never Open Suspicious Emails

During the holiday season, scammers will use fake emails to send viruses to unsuspecting victims. These emails will be disguised as sales or special offers from real companies you have most likely heard of and will try to steal your passwords and other personal information. These emails are called “phishing” scams and should be avoided at all costs. Here are few tips for avoiding scams to recognize if an email is fake or not:

• There is bad grammar, misspelled words or generally poorly written.
• Look at who sent the email. Does the sender match the company that is sending the email? For example, if the email is a deal for a credit card at Capital One, but the sender’s email address is not from Capital One or it is misspelled this email is a phishing scam.
• Usually, real companies advertising a sale or deal will not include an attachment on the email. So if the email has an unsolicited attachment is it most likely phishing. 
• The message in the email creates a sense of immediate urgency. For example it may say something like “your payment on a recent purchase was declined. We need your credit card information immediately to proceed.”

Learn even more about spotting a phishing scam in this article from Aging Care. 

Create Stronger Passwords

We know that in today’s day and age it feels like every single website is asking you to create an account and that leads to keeping track of an endless amount of passwords. This can be daunting to keep up with, but having a secure password is important for keeping your information private. We recommend creating phrase passwords, or “passphrases.” This will make your password easier to remember but more complex for hackers to figure out. Your phrases should not be based on personal information or contain sequential characters like 1234. We do recommend mixing in capitalization, special characters and numbers throughout. An example of how to create these phrases could be “!cedTiger3SummeR” or “b00ksPurple1Bird”

And to help keep track of the never ending passwords employ a password manager to ensure that your credentials are kept in one safe, secure place. Some great platforms to use are LastPass, 1Password or Dashlane. 

Do Your Research Before You Buy

The safest places to shop online are the big name stores you’ve already heard of that offer easy buying options and fast shipping like Amazon, Target or Walmart. But, if you decide to buy from somewhere else, do a little homework before you hit purchase so that you can feel confident in your shopping. 

• Look for reviews from other customers. 
• Find an address and contact information of the company on the website. 
• Unique and trustworthy looking images of the products they are selling. 
• Detailed Information about each product, which may include materials, size, weight, etc. 
• Is there information listed about the return policy?

Become More Familiar with Technology

Technology is always changing and can be overwhelming, especially for those that didn’t grow up with computers. But, it is never too late to become familiar and a sufficient online user. There are options for making the web simplified:

• Eldy helps older people use computers and enjoy the internet. By downloading free software that can be used on a computer, tablet or television, the internet’s interface will become easier for sending emails and finding safe websites. Many seniors struggle with not recognizing buttons or commands on the internet, Eldy combats that by creating large, easy to use and read buttons for navigating the web. 
• SeeYouLink believes everyone should be able to use the internet. To combat the inclusion of seniors, SeeYouLink creates an easy to use interface that hides all the complexities of the internet and shows only email, video calling, photos, games, news, weather, web search, and others. After a 30 day free trial, SeeYouLink requires a subscription that starts at $20 a month. 

For those that want to learn how to use the technology as is, you may be able to find local workshops at community centers or libraries. There are also online programs, such as:

• The Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP has the mission of “harnessing the power of technology to change the way we age.” OATS helps seniors learn and use technology so they can live better in the digital age. Sign up for their newsletter to learn more about their programs and projects. 
• SeniorNet is a nonprofit group dedicated to bridging the divide between older adults and technology. When you become a member you get access to the community where discussions and knowledge sharing occurs, free online events, resources and an interactive technical support forum and line. 

Digital Security 101: Five Safety Tips for Holiday Gift Shopping Online + Tips for Avoiding Scams & Frauds

If you are a senior who wants to embrace the ecommerce world, we highly recommend that you get out and start browsing. But, if you are going to do so, make sure you are doing so safely so you don’t become a victim to fraud. And if you ever need any help, give Assisting Hands a call at (512) 999-7379 today, or contact us using the chat button to the right of this article and schedule a free consultation.