Be Aware Of Cyber Scams When Shopping This Christmas

People looking to buy printer ink cartridges and toners this Christmas have been issued with some advice about how to avoid cyber crime.

This Christmas online shopping is set to go mad. Retailers are gearing up for so-called Manic Monday – online shoppers are expected to spend £22.4 million every hour next Monday, November 29th. But while it'd be easy to get lost in the giddy excitement of Christmas, it's important to be aware of the risk of online shopping scams.

According to If It Prints, I'll Let You Know, a printer and ink cartridges blog, the risk of falling victim to online crime increase during periods like Christmas because cyber criminals "take advantage of innocent shoppers trying to get the best gifts they could buy for their loved ones".

So what should you look out for?

Firstly, the blog says, beware of dubious gift card giveaways. You'll occasionally see, sometimes on Facebook, offers of stacks of cash simply for completing surveys or giving personal information. Don't be fooled: It's identity theft.

Fancy a free iPad? Sounds great doesn't it. Again, this is probably a ploy, the blog says. Finally, if you plan on shopping for ink cartridges over a Wi-Fi connection, ensure you shop safely.

The blog explains that internet security firm McAfee says cyber criminals often look to target Wi-Fi networks on public systems. So it'd be wise to avoid shopping online in a library, say, which is likely to use public network connections.

Posted by Canzil Ahmed.